One More Year
by Knope.We.Can
Summary: It's the final year of high school, and Chloe has big plans to go off to college and begin the next stage of her life. Beca just can't wait for the year to be over so she can head to LA. Having spent their time at high school as strangers, Chloe finds herself wondering about the quiet mysterious girl in her English class. Bechloe/Highschool AU. Rated T for occasional cursing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I don't know why I'm doing this to myself again. I've literally just finished a fic, and here I am, posting another one. I must be crazy or something.**

 **I don't know how long this will be, or how regular I'll be updating, but I hope you enjoy it anyway :)**

 **Please please pretty please review.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Chloe Beale was woken up for her first day of senior year by a knock on her door.

"Time to get up, Chlo'!" her Mom said, placing a cup of coffee on her bedside table and opening the curtains.

The sky was just beginning lighten, the sun barely breaking through the dull gray clouds.

Chloe grumbled some kind of response before she rolled out of bed and started the process of getting ready.

She quickly drank her coffee before heading for the shower. She locked eyes with her older brother Johnny in the hallway and they both froze. Their eyes darting between the bathroom door and each other.

Then they ran.

Chloe was quicker, and managed to dart past him and into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her.

Johnny banged on the door.

"God damn Chloe! I need to get to work!"

"My hair takes longer to dry!" She shouted back, grinning. "Sorry bro, you'll have to use the downstairs bathroom!"

"Lucy is in the downstairs bathroom!"

"That really sounds like a 'you' problem."

"You're the worst!" He shouted, hitting the door one last time, before retreating to his bedroom.

After showering, dressing, and putting on makeup, Chloe was ready for school. It was her first day of senior year, and she was a mixture of excited and anxious.

She was one year away from going to college with her best friend Aubrey, and she couldn't wait. They both had their heart set on attending Barden University, mainly because their famous all female a capella group.

She was so excited. So ready for that next stage of her life. But if her grades weren't good enough, then all the plans they'd made would have to change. Aubrey would be okay, she was a study machine and was always top of their class, but Chloe found it harder. She knew Aubrey wouldn't let her slack this year, though. Not when they were this close.

Her phone buzzed with a text, letting her know Aubrey was on her way, so Chloe made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

The kitchen was a cluster of energy as it always was on a morning. Come to think of it, the Beale kitchen was always a cluster of energy. It was like the heart of their home, always full of red hair and blue eyes and loud conversations.

Johnny was there, shoveling bacon and eggs into his mouth.

"I thought you were late for work?" Chloe asked, sitting beside him so she could pull on her shoes.

"Not too late for this," he said, messing up her hair with his free hand.

"Hey!" She said, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Chloe and Johnny are fighting!" Her six year old brother Robbie piped up.

"They are! I thaw it!" Aliza, Robbie's twin sister said, joining in.

"Oh you 'thaw' it, did you?" Thirteen year old Lucy said, eating a bowl of cereal while using her phone.

"Don't make fun of your sister," their mom said, trying to brush the tangles out of Aliza's hair.

Aliza stuck her tongue out at Lucy, and Lucy did the same.

"Lucy, I already have two six year olds, I don't need a third," their Mom said.

"Aubrey's here," Chloe said, checking her phone. "Luce, do you want a ride?"

She shook her head, not looking away from her phone. "I'm good."

"Okay, bye guys!" Chloe stood up from the table and headed for the door.

"Chlo', did you have breakfast?" Her mom asked, looking up from Aliza's hair.

"I'll just grab something on the way, Aubrey usually stops for coffee," Chloe said, picking up her jacket from the coat hook.

"Catch," Johnny said, throwing her an apple from the bowl in the middle of the table.

Chloe caught it, and rolled her eyes slightly, smiling as she took a bite. "Thanks."

As she walked through the front door, she bumped into her dad on the driveway, rushing to get into the house.

"Forgot my phone!" He said, almost knocking her down.

She got into Aubrey's car and pulled on her seat-belt.

"Another eventful morning at the Beale household?" Aubrey asked, smirking as she saw Chloe's dad run from the house again and into the car.

"Same as always," Chloe said, shaking her head. "Come on, we'll be late."

Aubrey pulled away from the house, as Chloe fiddled with the radio.

"God, I can't believe it's the first day of school already. I swear we broke up for summer like, yesterday," Aubrey said, when they pulled into the school parking lot fifteen minutes later. They got out and made their way through the crowds of tired and grumpy looking teenagers.

"This is it though," Chloe said, an eager smile on her face. "This time next year and we'll be college girls! Just one more year!" Their friend Stacie caught up with them as they walked.

"No one should ever look that happy on the first day of school," Stacie said, holding up a mirror and putting on lip-gloss. "Anyone would think you're actually be happy to be here."

The bell rang and there was a collective groan from the students as they began trudging into the school.

Chloe was about to join the crowd when the sound of screeching tires from the parking lot distracted her. She turned around to see a small brunette slamming the door of a shabby white pick-up truck and hurrying towards the crowd. Her arms were full of stuff that she was trying to shove into a bag, but most of it ended up spilling out of her hands and onto the ground.

She bent to pick it up, and Chloe found herself taking a step towards the girl.

"What are you doing?" Aubrey asked, pulling her along with the crowd, away from the girl.

"Huh?" Chloe asked, tearing her eyes away from the girl so she could watch where she was going.

"You just zoned out staring at that... alternative girl," Aubrey said, shooting a look of distaste over her shoulder.

"Alternative?"

"You know, all tattooed and pierced. Dark makeup. Bad attitude. Alternative," Aubrey said, as if it was obvious.

"Do you know her?" Chloe asked, turning to look again. The crowd that had formed behind her blocked the view.

"I wanna say her name is like Rachel or something," Aubrey said.

"Is she new?" Chloe asked

"No, I'm pretty sure I've seen her before. She hangs out with that Jesse kid I think," Stacie said. "You know, now that I think about it, I think her name might begin with a B."

"Is he her boyfriend?" Chloe asked. She didn't know Jesse very well, they didn't share any classes, but she had seen him around. He always spent his time with that kid Benji who was weirdly obsessed with magic. But for some reason she was struggling to remember if she'd ever seen this girl before.

"How should I know?" Stacie said with a shrug. "I don't even know the chick's name."

"Why are you so interested?" Aubrey asked.

"I'm not," Chloe said. "I just think it's weird that we know nothing about her."

"It's a big school Chlo'," Aubrey said, gesturing around at the crowded corridor. "We don't know half the seniors here."

"But we at least know their names," Chloe said.

"Rebeca!" Stacie said, suddenly triumphant as they reached their lockers. "She was in my gym class in sophomore year."

"You said her name began with a B," Chloe said, opening her locker and throwing in her heavier books.

"I was close," Stacie said, shrugging.

"Look, just forget about her, Chlo'," Aubrey said. "It's not like she's in any of our classes."

"I guess you're right," Chloe said.

The rest of the day went by without incident, and Chloe had almost forgotten about Rebeca, or Rachel, or whatever her name was.

That was, until she walked into her English class to find the small brunette sitting in the third row, swinging lazily on her chair, reading a book.

She was wearing skinny dark blue jeans that were torn at the knee, a pair of scuffed up black Doc Martens, and a loose fitting brown flannel shirt over a black top, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

Aubrey hadn't been wrong when she'd described her as "alternative". She was wearing dark eye make-up, and her ear was pierced in several places. Not to mention she had at least one tattoo that Chloe could see. A pair of headphones on her wrist.

Chloe once again found herself moving towards her, intending to sit next to her, only to hear Aubrey calling her from the other side of the room.

She swore the brunette's eyes flicked up at the sound of her name, before returning to her book.

"Chloe?" Aubrey said again. "Are you gonna stand there all day?"

Chloe quickly dropped into seat beside Aubrey.

"Well, at least now we'll get to learn her name," Chloe said, earning a shake of the head from Aubrey.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's chapter 2!**

 **Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed/followed/favourited so far, I really appriciate it. Please keep those reviews coming, they make me happy :)**

 **Also feel free to follow me on tumblr, my username is massivedrickhead.**

 **I do now own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Beca Mitchell was woken up for her first day of senior year by the alarm on her phone, and the sound of her dog scratching at the door.

At first, she hit snooze and rolled over. Her black-out blinds prevented the early morning sun from leaking into her bedroom, and she easily fell back to sleep.

But too soon, her alarm was blaring again, and Jasper's scratching and whining had gotten louder.

"Okay," she mumbled. "I'm getting up."

She kicked her blankets off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She rubbed her eyes and yawned before standing.

She braced herself for a second be she opened her bedroom door.

Jasper ran in and did a full circle of her room, barking excitedly, before brushing past her legs and standing at the doorway again.

He sat, tail wagging, waiting for her to come out.

She loved her little dog. He was small and scrappy, just like her.

"Why are you so happy?" Beca asked him, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

He gave a small yap of a bark in response and ran down the stairs. Before running back up them. And then down again. He had run up and down the stairs three times by the time Beca had reached the empty kitchen. Each time he pushed past her legs, Beca had to grab the banister to stop herself from falling.

She flicked on the coffee maker before she opened the back door and gestured for him to go out.

"Dude," she said, pointing at the back yard. "Go pee."

He cocked his head, his tail still wagging.

"Please," she said, crouching down in front of him. "Please go pee. Because I don't want to come home to find you've used the kitchen as your toilet again."

He didn't move, so Beca picked him up, and carried him into the garden. He made sure to lick her cheek before she put him on the ground.

"Gross," she said wiping it and closing the door behind her.

She filled his bowls with food and water before making herself coffee. It was then that she noticed the time.

"Oh shit!" She said, grabbing a box of cereal and shoveling handfuls of it into her mouth before she ran up the stairs and into the bathroom.

By the time she was showered and dressed, she was running late, and Jasper was barking from the back yard. She drank half of the cold cup of coffee before grimacing and pouring what was left down the sink.

She flung the door open and began pulling on her shoes.

Jasper stayed in the garden, his tail still wagging.

"Jasper," she said, rummaging in her pockets for her car keys. "Inside, boy."

He didn't move. She sighed before going out into the yard to pick him up again.

"Why must you insist on making my life harder?" She asked, picking him up and carrying him into the kitchen. No sooner had his feet touched the floor than he ran out again, barking happily. "Come on Jasper, I'm not playing," she moaned, still searching for her keys.

She picked him up again, and this time closed and locked the back door before putting him down.

"One of these days," she said, now checking her bag for her keys, "I'm gonna send you off to live on a farm. And not a nice farm with fields to run around in and chickens to chase. One of those mean Orwellian farms." Jasper barked in response. "I know; I love you too."

She found her keys in the bottom of her bag, but didn't have time to put everything back in, so just carried it all in her arms as she hurried out of the house.

"Be good!" She shouted before she closed the door and locked it.

By the time she had parked at school, the bell had already rung.

As she tried to put everything back in her bag while heading to join the crowd, it all spilled out and hit the floor.

"Motherfucker," she said with a sigh. She crouched down and began putting her books into her bag as quickly as she could, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. It felt like everyone was watching her.

"It's only the first day and you've already thrown your stuff on the ground? You usually wait until at least a week in before you start having a tantrum and throwing your shit everywhere," her best friend Jesse said, after making his way to her through the crowd.

"Well, what can I say, I thought I'd start early this year," Beca said, straightening up and pulling her bag onto her shoulder.

She looked up at the school and felt a familiar knot of anxiety settle in her stomach.

"Just one more year," she said softly to herself.

One more year and the she was free. Free to move to L.A. and fulfill her dream of being a music producer.

It was all she'd ever wanted.

Her dad was pushing her to go to college. More specifically, the college that he taught at, Barden University. She couldn't really understand why. Probably because he wouldn't have to pay if she went to his college.

But she couldn't bare the idea of going to college. With the odd exception, school had been nothing short of hell for her, and the thought of going back into education once she was finally free of it made her feel sick.

"Hey," their friend Benji said, joining them as they headed for their lockers, "did you hear? Old Mr. Beer-Sweat got canned over the summer."

"What?" Beca asked, shocked. "Why?"

"Bec, we call him Mr. Beer-Sweat. Why do you think?" Jesse asked, shaking his head at her. "Dude, I swear he was so drunk on the last day of term, he kept thinking I was my dad." Jesse started swaying drunkenly before he put his hand on Benji's shoulder. "Jason my boy!" He said, his words slurring. "You'll grow up to be a," Jesse hiccupped, "bloody brilliant writer! Mark my," Jesse hiccupped again, "words!". Benji laughed.

"To be fair, I've seen pictures of your dad when he was your age and you could be twins," Beca said, laughing as she closed her locker.

"When did you see photos of my dad as a teenager?" Jesse asked, confused.

"Oh, he showed them to me the last time we boned, Jess," Beca said, rolling her eyes. "He thinks seeing pictures of him looking younger will get me in the mood. Little does he know it's actually his age that does it for me."

"You're disgusting," Jesse said, cringing and shoving her.

"So who's going to teach English now?" Beca asked as they made their way to home room.

"I heard the class is getting split up and spread out amongst the other English teachers," Benji said. "I guess we'll find out soon."

The rest of the day dragged by, but wasn't anymore awful than usual.

A few of the "cooler" kids had seen Beca drop her books that morning, so had decided to play a new game which involved knocking the books out of Beca's hands whenever they saw her.

Beca had been a target before, so she was used to it. She knew they'd get bored of it in a few weeks, the same way they got bored of tripping her up the year before, and throwing balled-up paper at her the year before that.

 _One more year_ , she told herself as she walked into English, relieved to be in the last class of the day.

Apart from one chair, the back row of desks was full by the time she got there, so she took a seat in the row in front. The empty chair behind was soon filled by a bully and moron called Steve Hagan, but she was too busy reading her book to notice.

It wasn't until she heard the name Chloe that her eyes suddenly shot from the page, even if it was only for a fraction of a second.

She felt her cheeks burn again as she caught a glimpse of that fiery red hair and those blue eyes.

She'd been aware of Chloe Beale for as long as she could remember, but who wasn't aware of Chloe Beale? She was clever and pretty, and, unlike most of the school, she actually seemed like a nice person

Unfortunately for her, she was pretty sure that Chloe Beale didn't even know she existed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello folks, here's the latest!**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed so far, please please please keep reviewing.**

 **Shoutout to Dracossack (AKA leblanc-apella) for being my beta for this chapter :)**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters.**

* * *

Chloe couldn't stop looking at her.

She knew she must look like a creep but she couldn't seem to help herself.

"Chloe, for serious, what is going on with you?" Aubrey asked, nudging her friend.

"Nothing," Chloe said, quickly averting her eyes. "I don't know. I just... it's bothering me that I don't know her."

"Why?"

"Because I feel like I should," Chloe said.

"Do you like, have a crush on her or something?" Aubrey asked.

"What?!" Chloe said in a whispered shout, her face burning. "Of course I don't! I'm not even-"

"I was kidding Chloe," Aubrey said, confused by her friend's reaction. "But you are acting weird."

"Hey, Mitchell!" Steve Hagan shouted from the other end of the room. The rest of the class turned to look in his direction. "You dropped your gay-card," he sniggered, hoping she would look for it, so he could then laugh and call her gay.

It was a dumb joke, and not a particularly funny one.

Without missing a beat, Beca pulled her ID from her book. She'd been using it as a bookmark, and now held it up so he could see it.

"I've got mine here, Hagan," she said, not looking away from her book. "That one must be yours."

"Huh?" He asked, confused. He looked down at the ground and the room broke out into giggles. He turned red, having realised he was the one they were laughing at, and he kicked the back of her chair.

She had been balancing precariously on two legs, and the chair slammed forward onto four so hard that she hit her elbow off the desk.

Before Beca could turn around and say something, their teacher walked in.

"Okay," she said, standing at the front of the class. "I know this class is a little bigger than usual, but as we all know Mr. Bereswell has had to leave due to... personal reasons. So his class has been split up. For those who don't know me, I'm Ms. Abernathy-Mckadden."

Ms. Abernathy-Mckadden did the class roll-call before she began the lesson, and Chloe listened eagerly, excited to finally find out this girl's name.

"Rebeca Mitchell?" She asked.

"Present," Beca said, wincing slightly.

"Huh, Stacie was right then," Chloe said quietly when they finally pulled out their notebooks.

"I don't know what happened to you, but you've turned into a real creep, Chloe Beale," Aubrey said.

Chloe shook her head and tried to focus her attention on what Ms. Abernathy was writing on the board.

Beca reached into her bag and pulled out a small voice recorder before putting it on the edge of her desk.

There was a collective sigh of relief once the bell rang signaling the end of school.

Beca gathered her stuff but before she could put it in her bag, Hagan knocked it all out of her hands.

She let out a noise of frustration before she bent down for the third of fourth time that day to pick up her things.

As she shuffled her papers back into a pile, someone else crouched down in front of her and started helping.

"You should ignore him," Chloe said, "he's an asshole."

"Uh, yeah," Beca said, suddenly finding it hard to talk, "he's an idiot." Chloe smiled at her and Beca thought for a second that maybe she was about to have a stroke.

The pair straightened up and Chloe handed her a book.

"Thanks," Beca said.

"You're Rebeca, right?" She asked as they walked out of the classroom.

"Beca," she said. "Call me Beca."

"Okay," Chloe said grinning. "I will."

"Becaw!" Jesse shouted from near the entrance. "Are you coming or what?"

"Uh, I should go," Beca said, gesturing at her friend. "Thanks for helping pick my stuff up."

"No problem," Chloe said. "I'm Chloe by the way."

Beca smiled at her properly for the first time. "I know your name," she said, before she walked towards Jesse.

"Dude," he said in a low voice. "What was that? Was that Chloe Beale you were talking to?"

"Keep it down," Beca said shoving him.

Chloe watched them with a weird feeling of disappointment that she couldn't explain. She shook her head, trying to snap out of it.

 _They're a cute couple,_ she thought.

"Are you coming over tonight?" He asked as they headed for their cars.

"I can't," Beca said fishing the keys out of her pocket. "My poor baby has been in the house all by himself today."

"It weirds me out when you talk about your dog like that," Jesse said, shaking his head. "And I thought your dad was back tonight?"

"Didn't we all, Jess," Beca said. "But apparently his conference got extended for a few days."

"You could always bring the dog with you," Jesse said.

"Your mom would lose her shit," Beca said. "I'll catch you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Alright, loser," he said, heading towards his own car.

She climbed into her pickup and rolled down the windows. She plugged her iPod into the stereo, and soon music filled the car. She smiled as she pulled away from the school.

She was glad to see the back of it for another day.

Today had been shitty.

Well, there had been one good thing.

Chloe watched her drive away before she climbed into Aubrey's car.

"You wanna come over tonight?" Chloe asked as they drove away from the school.

"That depends. Are you going to spend the whole night talking about this Beca girl you're suddenly obsessed with?" Aubrey asked.

"I'm not obsessed," Chloe said. "But if it makes you feel better, I won't mention her again, okay?" There was a slightly awkward silence after that. "Sorry," Chloe said, eventually.

"It's okay," Aubrey said, briefly looking away from the road to glance at her friend. Chloe was looking out of the window with an unreadable expression. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."

"Yeah I know," Chloe said.

"If things start to get… you know… on top of you again-"

"'Bree, I'm fine," Chloe said, turning to smile at her friend. "I promise. Now, are you coming over, or not?"

"I'll come over," Aubrey said, smiling too.

Chloe and Aubrey arrived back at the Beale house to find a hectic family dinner was already underway.

"Hello girls," Chloe's Mom shouted over the noise. "Are you staying for dinner, Aubrey?"

"No thanks, Mrs. Beale," Aubrey shouted back. "My Mom has already made me something already so I'll get that when I go home."

"How about you Chlo'?" Her Mom asked.

"I'll get it later Mom," Chloe said.

"I'll put a plate in the oven for you," her Mom said.

"Thanks."

The girls headed up to Chloe's small room, and Chloe closed the door behind them.

"So, shall we start with chemistry?" Aubrey asked, pulling her notebooks out of her bag.

"Sure," Chloe said with a sigh.

They spent a couple of hours exchanging notes. Aubrey wanted to go for a third hour, but Chloe closed her book resolutely. Her head was pounding and her wrist hurt from trying to keep up with Aubrey's ferocious writing speed.

"It's the first day back," Chloe said when Aubrey tried to argue. "I'm sure we're not gonna fall behind for taking a break."

"I suppose you're right," Aubrey said, closing her own book. She looked at Chloe who was frowning again.

A familiar feeling was starting to creep into Chloe's head. She had managed to keep it at bay for most of the summer, but the combination of school and this girl she couldn't get out of her head, had taken their toll. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and stay there for a few weeks.

Aubrey's question was still ringing in her mind. _"Do you have a crush on her or something?"_

Did she?

She had always been certain that she was just into guys, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Are you okay?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah, why?" Chloe asked.

"You were really cheerful this morning, but you've been really quiet all night. And you were acting weird earlier."

Chloe shrugged. "I'm just tired."

"Come on, Chlo'," Aubrey said, her voice a little softer. "We've been best friends for how many years? I know when something's up."

Chloe ran her hands through her hair. "I don't know how to explain it," she said quietly.

Aubrey scooted closer to her so she could put an arm around her shoulder. "You don't have to explain anything to me. Just… Just know that I'm here if you need me."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks 'Bree."

Aubrey gave her a squeeze. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay?"

Chloe nodded, and then walked with her friend down the stairs and to the front door. "Drive safe," she called as Aubrey climbed into her car.

She shut the front door and headed for the stairs again.

"Chloe?" Her Mom called from the living room.

"Yeah?"

"Your dinner's in the oven, sweetie."

"I know," she said. "I'm just… I'm tired, Mom. I'm just gonna go to bed."

She heard her Mom sigh softly, before she made her way into the kitchen. "Sit down," she said, taking her dinner from the oven and popping it into the microwave to heat up.

"Mom-"

"I wasn't asking," her Mom said. She had Robbie's school sweater in her hand, and a needle and thread in her other hand. She joined Chloe at the kitchen table while she repaired a hole in the sweater. When the microwave pinged, her Mom got the plate and sat back down.

She sat with her daughter for almost an hour while Chloe struggled to clear her plate.

"It's okay to have a bad day you know," her Mom said once the plate was finally empty.

"I know," she said, wiping her eyes.

Her Mom gave her a tight hug, and kissed the side of her head.

"I know it might feel like I don't have a lot of time for you," she said, still holding her. "What with the twins and Lucy and everything. But I will always make time for you. You know that, right? Anytime, night or day, if you need me I'm there." She felt Chloe nod against her. Chloe didn't let go of her, so she stayed where she was, rubbing a hand up and down her back.

"Mom?" Chloe said eventually, her voice practically a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Mom I think… There's this girl at school. I think I like her."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So last chapter was quite Chloe heavy, and this one is very much a Beca chapter but don't worry, I'm going to bring them together soon!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has favourited and followed so far and an even bigger than you to those who have reviewed. Reviews give me life and make me happy, so thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to review, I can only ask (beg) that you keep it up.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of their characters**

* * *

While Aubrey drove them back to Chloe's house, Beca was pulling into her driveway.

The house was just as dark and quiet as she left it.

There was a flashing light on her answering machine, and she hit play as she made her way into the kitchen. Her dad's voice echoed through the house.

"Hey Bec, me again. Uh, it would be great if you could call me back, but I assume you're busy doing whatever it is you teenagers do these days. I know I said last night that I'd be back by Friday but it's looking like it might be Sunday night now. Anyway, I'll call back tonight. Bye."

Beca rolled her eyes slightly as she pulled Jasper's leash from a hook on the wall.

"Sit," she said, trying to clip the leash to his collar. He did, his tail wagging furiously. "Good boy."

She straightened up and headed back out of the house.

A cold gust of wind whipped at her, and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. She shivered, but she would still rather be out here than in that big empty house alone.

She closed her front gate behind her and headed into the woods that were situated behind her house.

They walked further into the woods, the slope of the ground was getting gradually steeper. Most people would have turned back at this point. The steep decline combined with the rocks and tree roots sticking out everywhere made it easy to trip. It also involved a scramble over the mud and rocks to get back up. But Beca wasn't most people. Years of practice meant that Beca knew exactly where to put her feet. She had been running down this hill for as long as she could remember.

After a while the ground began to level out and soon they reached a clearing, with a large tree in the middle, and Beca felt herself smile. She took a seat on the ground at the base of the tree, and let Jasper off his leash so her could run around. She knew he wouldn't go very far. Every so often he would run back to her with a new stick for her to throw.

She put one earphone into her ear and pressed play on her iPod. She then dug a notebook and pen out of her bag, and started writing out ideas for mixes. Every so often she would stop writing, and just look around her. The leaves were still on the trees but not for much longer. Some of them were beginning to fall away and get picked up by the wind. The longer she sat there, the more relaxed she became.

She had been coming to this clearing for as long as she could remember. Whenever things had gotten too much at home or school, she would end up coming here, usually with Jasper in tow.

She really didn't want to leave, but after around an hour, it was just starting to get dark. She whistled for Jasper and he came running over to her, a stick far too big for him was in his mouth.

"Cool stick bud," she said taking it from him. She re-attached his leash and the pair walked back home. She really didn't want to, but there was nowhere else to go at this point, and the woods were getting darker. She shivered again and quickened her pace.

They reached the house and Beca unlocked the door. She unclipped his leash and Jasper ran inside, barking happily as he headed straight for the kitchen. Beca followed him, flicking on the lights as she went. As she filled his bowl with food, her phone started buzzing in her pocket. Her dad was calling.

"Hi," she said, putting the phone on the counter and turning on speaker phone.

"Hey Bec," her dad's voice said, crackling slightly. "I tried to call earlier."

"I know dad," she said, putting her own dinner in the microwave. "But I was at school."

"What were you doing at school?" He asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.

"Uh, learning? It was the first day back today."

"What? Already? I thought that was next week," he said.

"Nope. Unfortunately, it was today," she said, sitting at the kitchen table while she waited for her food to cook. "How's the conference?"

"Boring," he said. "Full of dull professors."

"You're a dull professor."

"I'll have you know I'm one of the cool professors," he said. Beca laughed. They didn't always get on, but her dad could usually make her laugh. She heard someone mumble something on her dad's end of the call. "I gotta go, Becs. Speak soon."

"Bye dad," she said. He hung up and she swallowed the words 'love you' which had been sitting on her tongue.

The house was quiet and empty again.

She ate her food quickly and retreated to her bedroom. She wanted nothing more than to put her music on and lie in bed until she fell asleep, but she had other things to do first.

She switched on her computer and pulled the voice recorder out of her bag. She plugged it in and copied all the audio files onto her computer. She named each one the date and the lesson she'd recorded. While the files were uploading, she began re-writing out all the notes she had taken that day, making them neater and more organised. She found things stuck in her head more after she had copied them out.

She had trouble remembering things sometimes. She was smart, she knew that, but when it came to exams she just fell apart. As soon as she'd sit down in a test, everything she knew would fall out of her head. So a year ago she'd started recording all her classes so she could listen to them when she was studying. Her grades were one of the few things her dad was strict on, and if she wanted to stay on his good side, she had to keep them up.

She took a break from studying at around 10:30pm, and decided to quickly check facebook. Her face lit up when she saw she had a friend request from Chloe Beale.

She tried to disguise her grin as she hit accept.

It felt like seconds later when her laptop pinged with a new message.

 **Chloe Beale:** Hi! You accepted me! I didn't think you would!

 **Beca Mitchell:** Haha, why wouldn't I accept you?

 **Chloe Beale:** Because you're all dark and mysterious and too cool to be friends with me.

 **Beca Mitchell:** Well that is me in a nutshell ;)

 **Beca Mitchell:** How come you're up so late?

 **Chloe Beale:** Late night study session with Aubrey.

 **Beca Mitchell:** Wow, you're right. I am too cool for you.

 **Chloe Beale:** Hey! Be nice!

 **Beca Mitchell:** Sorry dude.

 **Chloe Beale:** I guess I'll forgive you ;)

 **Chloe Beale:** I should probably go. Gotta get that beauty sleep. See you tomorrow!

 **Beca Mitchell:** Pfft you don't need beauty sleep.

 **Beca Mitchell:** See you at school.

It was almost 11pm when Beca could finally climb into bed. She wouldn't normally let Jasper sleep in her room, but after over a week of living in an empty house, she gave in, thankful for the company as he curled up at the end of her bed.

She got a knot of anxiety in her stomach when she thought about school the next day.

She really didn't want to go.

 _One more year_ , she told herself as she closed her eyes. _Just one more year._

As she drifted off, her thoughts were filled with ginger hair and blue eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Big thanks to everyone who followed/favourited/reviewed!**

 **Please keep them coming!**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

After confiding her feelings to her Mom, Chloe felt considerably happier over the next few days, and Aubrey was glad that she'd stopped talking about Beca so much. Chloe still hadn't told her what she'd told her Mom, but she knew she would eventually.

She was pretty sure that Aubrey would be cool with it, but that didn't stop her feeling nervous about the prospect of telling someone else when she was just coming to grips with it herself.

 ** _"_** ** _So, do you like other girls? Or is it just this one?" Her Mom asked, ending their hug so she could wipe the tears from under Chloe's eyes._**

 ** _"_** ** _I don't know," Chloe said, thinking about it. "Other girls too, I guess. But… But I still like boys."_**

 ** _Her Mom smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead._**

 ** _"_** ** _That's okay," she said. "Do you think then, that maybe you're bisexual? I mean, don't feel like you have to have a label, but I know identifying as that definitely helped me."_**

 ** _Chloe's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, what?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I don't think I ever told you, did I? I figured you didn't want to hear about your Mom's sexuality. But yeah, I'm bi. I dated girls in the past," her Mom said. "Not many. Your dad and I got together when I was 20, but I dated a couple of girls in college before I met him."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Huh," Chloe said, trying to digest this new information. "So, I'm not like, weird or anything?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Chloe Beale," her Mom said, holding her daughter's face between her hands, "you're one of the weirdest people I've ever met. But not because of this."_**

 ** _Chloe laughed, and her Mom smiled again._**

It was Friday morning, and Chloe was in the middle of breakfast when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Aubrey was calling her.

"Hey, are you outside?" Chloe asked.

"My car won't start," Aubrey said with a huff of annoyance. "My Mom is going to give us a ride to school, we'll be over in like ten minutes."

"Okay," Chloe said, "see you soon." She hung up her phone and started pulling her shoes on.

Soon she heard the beep of Aubrey's Mom's car, and she was hurrying out of the house, shouting goodbyes as she went.

The Posen's hated tardiness.

"Morning," Aubrey said as Chloe got into the back of the car.

"Morning," Chloe said back. "Thanks for the ride Mrs. Posen."

"No problem, Chloe," Aubrey's Mom said, pulling out of the driveway. "I can't pick you girls up I'm afraid. I'm working late."

"We can get Stacie to give us a ride or something," Aubrey said. "Did you finish that math homework?" Aubrey asked, turning in her seat so she could look at Chloe.

"Eventually," Chloe said. "It took forever. It's our first week back, you'd think they'd take it easy on us."

"Senior year is an important year," Aubrey's Mom said. "They have to work you hard to get you ready for college."

"And anyway," Aubrey said, turning back to face the front, "it's not like it was that hard."

"I guess not," Chloe said. "But when you combine it with all the other stuff we have to do, it builds up."

All too soon, they arrived at school and went in search of Stacie.

They passed Beca, Jesse and Benji who were sitting on one of the low walls that surrounded the parking lots.

Chloe gave Beca a wave and a smile.

"Morning!" She said, as they passed.

"Morning," Beca said back, seeming slightly dazed.

Since their brief conversation on Monday afternoon, and the Facebook one on the evening, Chloe had started making an effort to say hello, or at least waving, every time she spotted her. And they usually had a quick Facebook conversation in the evenings too. She didn't know why Chloe Beale had suddenly taken an interest in her, and it threw her off guard every time the redhead shot her a smile or a wave. But she wasn't about to start complaining.

"Yo! Earth to Beca," Jesse said, nudging her.

"What?" Beca said, tearing her eyes away from the redhead who was walking away.

"The bell just rang. Time to go learn and shit," Jesse said.

Beca reluctantly got off the wall and joined the students.

"Hey what are you doing tomorrow?" He asked her as they walked.

"I dunno," she said with a shrug. "Probably cleaning. My dad is back on Sunday so I have to make sure the house is fine."

"Dude, did you even leave your room while he was gone? How can you have messed up the house? Why don't you come see a movie with me and Benji instead?"

"Because movies are the worst," she said. "I'd literally rather scrub my house from top to bottom than watch another dumb movie."

"You're such a weirdo, Beca Mitchell," Jesse said shaking his head at her. "Just come to the movies with us and you can clean later."

"And why would I want to do that?" Beca asked.

"Because we're friends and we haven't hung out all week?"

"I'll think about it," Beca said.

The group passed by Chloe as they headed for their first lesson. Beca gave her a shy smile which Chloe eagerly returned.

Aubrey opened her mouth to say something, but something held her back so she closed it again. Chloe had basically shut down the last time Aubrey mentioned that alt-girl, and she didn't want it to happen again.

The day felt like it lasted a whole week, but eventually the final bell was ringing and students began pouring out of the doors, eager to start their weekend.

Beca arrived at her car just in time to see Hagan throw a giant milkshake at her windshield, before driving off in his own car, laughing hysterically.

"Dude, that sucks. Do you want me to help you clean it off?" Jesse asked.

"No it's fine," Beca said with a sigh of resignation. "You can get out of here before the roads get too jammed."

"Okay, see you tomorrow though, yeah?"

"Maybe," Beca said. She climbed into her car and turned on the windshield wipers, sending the worst of it splashing to the ground. Pink smears were still left all over the windshield, so she switched them off and routed around in her car for an old bottle of water.

Chloe was watching this from the other side of the parking lot.

"Hey Chlo', are you getting in or what?" Stacie asked, standing at her own car.

"Um, no," she said, closing the passenger door. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Chloe!" Aubrey called as she watched her walking towards Beca's car.

"Hey," Chloe said once she'd reached her. "You need a hand?"

"Oh, no that's okay, it's nearly off now," Beca said, feeling herself go slightly red. She had gotten the majority of the pink strawberry milkshake off the windshield but had also managed to splash herself with water while she was doing it.

Chloe took a bottle of water out of her bag and began pouring it on the car.

"Dude, you don't have to do that," Beca said.

"How about I help you clean your car, and then you can help me out with something?" Chloe said, standing back so Beca could switch her wipers on again.

"Okay," Beca said, relieved that her windows finally seemed clean enough to drive. "What do you need?"

"You could give me a ride home?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, sure, no problem," Beca said.

"I usually get a ride with Aubrey, but her car broke down and her Mom dropped us off but couldn't pick us up and-"

"You don't have to explain," Beca said, smiling as she cut off Chloe's rambling. "Hop in."

Chloe struggled with the passenger door for a few seconds before Beca came around to help.

"There's a bit of a knack to it," she said before slamming the full weight of her body into it. The door opened and she held it so Chloe could climb up the steps and into the pickup. Beca closed the door after her and ran around to the driver's side, by which time Chloe had already picked up her iPod and started scrolling through. "So where am I heading?"

Chloe told her her address before holding up the iPod. "Can I?"

"Sure," Beca said, feeling a sudden unexpected surge of nervousness. "Just, you know, don't judge me for what's on there."

Chloe giggled slightly as she looked for a song.

There was a lot she recognised, but they were all in mixes she'd never heard before, so she just clicked one and let it play.

A combination of Titanium and I Would Walk 500 Miles started playing.

"Oh my god," Chloe said. "This is amazing! How have I never heard this mix before, who did it?"

"Um, this is actually me," Beca said as they drove. "I did this. And all the mixes on there."

Chloe looked away from the iPod to look at Beca, seemed half embarrassed and half pleased.

"This is really good," she said. "Like, I'm serious this song is my jam. But this version is like…" she made a mind-blow gesture and Beca laughed. "You're gonna have to send me this."

"I can just give you a bunch on a USB if you like," Beca said. She wasn't entirely sure why she said it. Sharing her music with other people had always made her nervous, and she tried to avoid doing it. But something about seeing the way Chloe's eyes had lit up made her think that it would be okay to share her music with Chloe.

"If you did that, you might become my favourite person who ever lived," Chloe said.

"Well now I've got to," Beca said, laughing.

"So any plans for the weekend?" Chloe asked.

"Jesse is begging me to come see this dumb rom-com with him tomorrow," she said. "But that's my idea of hell so I might pass. You?"

"Aubrey wants to go shopping. Apparently she needs more pens and post-its and highlighters," Chloe said shaking her head. "You and Jesse seem really cute together, how long have you been dating?"

Beca turned and looked at Chloe with disbelief in her eyes. _She really doesn't know anything about me._

"Dude, I'm not dating Jesse," she said. "He's like my brother, that would be gross."

"Oh," Chloe said. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologise," Beca said smiling at her. "I get it. People make that mistake a lot. He's a boy, I'm a girl, we hang out all the time. People just assume."

"I shouldn't have assumed," Chloe said.

"Dude it's fine," Beca said. "So, are you doing much tonight?" She changed the conversation quickly, not wanting Chloe to feel guilty about assuming she was with Jesse.

"Probably not," Chloe said. "Stacie invited me and Aubrey to a party, but Aubrey can't go, and I don't really want to go without her. I'm not a huge party fan. How about you?"

"Well I've got to take my dog for a walk and after that I've got big plans with a pizza and Game of Thrones."

"You have a dog?" Chloe asked, sounding suddenly more upbeat. "I love dogs. We can't have one because Johnny's allergic."

"And Johnny is…?"

"Oh my older brother," Chloe said. "He's like 21 now, so I figure he should move out so I can have his big room and a dog."

Beca laughed. "Yeah, dogs are pretty great. You wanna come over and meet him?" It took her a few seconds before it hit her that she had just asked Chloe Beale to come over to her house. "I mean, you probably don't want to, it's fine-"

"There is literally nothing I would love more in this world," Chloe said, cutting off Beca's stammering and grinning.

"Wait, you want to?" Beca said, glancing at her.

Chloe laughed. "Yes, I want to."

"You're just using me for my dog, aren't you?"

"Oh, definitely," Chloe said, causing Beca to laugh too.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry I'm such a piece of shit it's been like 3 weeks since I updated, I'm the worst.**

 **I'm gonna beg for reviews even though I don't deserve them.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

"I have to go home first to let my Mom know what I'm doing but it'll take like five minutes," Chloe said as they pulled up outside her house.

"Okay, no problem," Beca said. "I'll just wait here."

"You can come in if you want," Chloe said, laughing.

"I'm good," Beca said. "I don't make good first impressions, especially on parents."

"You made a good first impression on me," Chloe said, jumping out of Beca's car.

"The fact that your first impression of me happened like 5 days ago maybe suggests that my first impressions aren't great. Or at least un-memorable," Beca said.

"I think that's more down to me than you," Chloe said before she closed the car door and headed for her house.

While she waited for Chloe to come back, Beca pulled out her phone and saw she had a text from Jesse.

 **Jesse: Why was Chloe Beale allowed to help you clean up milkshake but I wasn't? Also, why did she get in your car? Anything I need to know about?**

 **Beca: She started helping before I could stop her. Plus she needed a ride home. Why were you spying on me, creep?**

 **Jesse: I call it caring not creeping.**

Beca shook her head and shoved it back into her pocket. She felt stupidly nervous for some reason. The idea of Chloe coming to her house was giving her crazy butterflies.

She couldn't remember ever feeling nervous before Jesse, Benji, or their friend Fat Amy came over to her house.

Maybe it was because to her Chloe still seemed like some kind of mythical creature. Someone she'd always been aware of but knew she was about as likely to see a unicorn than to have an actual conversation with her.

Until Monday afternoon that is.

For some reason she hadn't been able to stop thinking about the first time Chloe had spoken to her. The way she seemed to suddenly appear in front of her, an almost shy smile on her face.

If Jesse could hear her, he'd say she had a crush. He was always accusing her of having a crush. But Beca didn't think she did. She knew by now not to get crushes on straight girls.

That being said...

Beca was broke out of her thoughts by Chloe tapping on her window. Beca smiled and leant across to open the door.

"You were in a whole world of your own then," Chloe said, as she climbed into the car.

"Yeah I zone out sometimes," Beca said, praying that Chloe would never find out what she'd been day-dreaming about.

"Well please don't do it while you're driving," Chloe said.

"I'll try," Beca said. "So do you have a time you need to be back for?"

"Not really," Chloe said. "As long as it's not like crazy late. When will your parents want me out by?"

"Oh my dad is away on some conference so it's just me in the house," Beca said. "So, you know, just stay as long as you want."

"Is your Mom away with him?" Chloe asked. She tried to imagine what it must be like having the whole house to yourself, but her house was always so full it was impossible to picture.

"Um, no my Mom is, um, she's like in Europe or something," Beca said, her voice a little quieter. She'd been expecting these questions, but she hadn't had to answer them in a long time.

"Oh, is she on vacation?" Chloe asked.

"Something like that," Beca said. "Can you take a twelve year vacation?" She felt Chloe turn and look at her. "She left when I was six. Last I heard she was in Europe. I dunno if she's still there."

"I'm sorry, Beca," Chloe said.

"It's fine," Beca said. "It was a long time ago."

"So... So how long has your dad been on his conference?"

"I dunno, like a week? Ten days, maybe? He goes on them a lot," Beca said.

"And you just take care of yourself?" Chloe asked, surprised.

"Sure. It's not so bad. I get to eat what I like for dinner, and watch what I want on TV, and go to bed when I like. And I've got Jasper for company," Beca said.

"Your dog is called Jasper? He gets cooler by the minute," Chloe said, sensing Beca would rather she changed the subject.

"He's the coolest, trust me," Beca said, as they pulled into her drive. "So, he might get a little excited, and he might jump up. Just a heads up."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Chloe said as they walked towards Beca's front door. "Dude, your house is huge. I'm just gonna say it."

"Yeah," Beca said, laughing slightly uncomfortably. "I think my parents planned on having a big family. So they bought a big ass house and now it's just me and dad."

"We can do a trade if you like," Chloe said, waiting while Beca rummaged in her bag for her house keys. "I've got four siblings, plus mom and dad, and every so often my mom's sister breaks up with her boyfriend and comes to stay on our couch."

"You have four siblings? So there's like five of you? Did your parents not have a TV or?"

Chloe laughed. "There's Johnny, then me, then Lucy who's thirteen and the twins Robbie and Aliza who are six."

"Man, our home lives couldn't be more different," Beca said opening the front door and walking in. "Hey buddy!" She said, as Jasper ran up to her and jumped. Chloe couldn't help but laugh at how different her voice sounded when she was talking to her dog. "This is Chloe," Beca said. "Chloe, this is Jasper."

"Hi," Chloe said crouching down so she could stroke Jasper. "Oh my god, Beca, he is the cutest."

"He's my baby," Beca said. "Aren't you? Yes you are. Yes you are, you're my baby."

"All of your badass points are flying out of the window right now," Chloe said.

"Yeah, tell anyone that I talk to my dog like this and I might have to kill you," Beca said, clipping a leash to Jasper's collar.

"Your secret is safe with me," Chloe said, as they headed back out of the door. "So, I gotta ask, how come I didn't know who you were?"

Beca shrugged. "I don't make much of an impression," she said as they walked through the woods by her house. "I tend to stay under the radar, why would you have known me?"

"You knew who I was," Chloe said.

"Yeah, well, who doesn't know who Chloe Beale is," Beca said.

Chloe felt her heart sink slightly. "Ah," she said. "So you heard some rumors about me and-"

"Wait, what? I don't listen to rumors, dude. I just meant that, you know, you're you. You're like top of every class and you're super pretty and everyone likes you-"

"You think I'm super pretty?" Chloe asked, grinning at the way Beca suddenly turned bright red.

"I mean, yeah? You've seen you right?" Beca said.

Chloe shook her head, laughing slightly. "You're cute," she said.

If Beca had been red before, now she reached a whole new level.

They walked in silence for a little longer before it started to get darker and colder.

"We should head back," Beca said. "So, if you wanted to stick around a bit I could make you that USB."

"That'd be awesome," Chloe said.

"I'm gonna order pizza if you want some," she said, crouching down and untangling Jasper. He had managed to get his leash wrapped around his legs.

"Oh, that's okay. I don't have any money. I can just get something when I get home," Chloe said, suddenly feeling apprehensive.

"How about I just order a massive pizza, and if you're hungry you can just help yourself?" Beca said. "I don't want any money or anything."

"It's fine, really. Just order whatever you would normally order. I don't need any," Chloe said.

"I normally order a massive pizza. And there's normally a few slices left over," Beca said. "I don't want your folks thinking I let you starve," she added with a laugh. "I'm not like, forcing you to eat pizza. But it'll be there if you want it."

Chloe looked at her. _She really doesn't know_ , she thought. She could skip dinner if she told her mom she'd eaten at Beca's.

 _Careful Chloe,_ she thought. _This is a slippery slope_. She really didn't want to fall back into old habits. She thought about what her mom would say if she knew what Chloe was trying to do. And she also thought about how hurt Beca would be if she knew.

"Actually," Chloe said, "pizza sounds awesome."

Beca glanced at her and grinned. "Great," she said.

Chloe couldn't help but grin back.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's a longer than normal chapter to make up for my delay in updating. Forgive me?**

 **I'm sorry I took so long updating but it's been hard for me to stay motivated lately.**

 **Please please review, it really helps.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Jasper was scratching at Beca's front door before she could even get the key in to open it.

"Dude, can you like, chill out for a second?" Beca said, struggling to hold his leash and fish the keys out of her pocket.

"Here, I can hold him," Chloe said, taking the leash out of Beca's hand, chuckling as he wrapped himself around Beca's legs.

"It's like he's determined to embarrass me," Beca said, stepping out of the leash trap Jasper had gotten her in and opening the door.

"Wow, he is really eager to get inside," Chloe said as Jasper took off running the second Beca unclipped the leash from his collar.

"Actually, he's just eager to get back outside. He thinks garden outside is different to woods outside. He's not the smartest," Beca said, flicking on a light switch and leading Chloe to her kitchen.

Jasper was already sitting at the back door, his tail wagging furiously.

Beca slid the door open and he ran out barking happily. She shook her head as she closed the door after him.

She then became acutely aware of the fact that Chloe Beale was standing in her kitchen.

"Uh, he'll get bored in a minute and come back in," Beca said. "Then he'll probably be your best friend."

"Can't wait," Chloe said. "So, I believe you had some mixes to let me listen to?"

"Oh yeah!" Beca said, clearly relieved that they weren't about to stand in silence while they waited for Jasper. "My laptop's just through here."

Beca lead Chloe from the kitchen into a second living room towards the back of the house.

Chloe glanced around her as they walked, and couldn't help notice how empty the house seemed. It was almost as if no one lived there. If it wasn't for the occasional dog toy, or pair of shoes, it would have looked like a show home.

There were no family pictures on the walls, or notes pinned to the notice board.

Chloe kept thinking about her own much smaller home and the constant noise and energy of the place. She often complained about never having her own space, but she quickly realised she wouldn't like to live like this. She felt bad for Beca having to spend so much time on her own here.

The den Beca lead them to looked like the only place that had been lived in. There was a couple of empty pizza boxes and soda cans, that Beca quickly tidied away, looking embarrassed.

Chloe spotted some photographs on one of the side tables and went to have a look. One was a group picture of Beca, Jesse, Benji and another girl that Chloe recognised but couldn't think of her name.

"I know her," Chloe said, pointing at the picture.

"That's Amy. She's in the year above us so she's in college now. She tends to go by Fat Amy, so maybe that's why you know her."

"Oh yeah!" Chloe said. "She's the one who poured Kool Aid into the pool on her last day and then did some kind of synchronized swimming thing in it."

"That's Amy," Beca said shaking her head and laughing.

Chloe's eyes fell to another photograph. It was of a little girl with long brown hair standing with her arms wrapped around an older woman.

"Is this your Mom?" Chloe asked.

"My Grandma," Beca said. "After my Mom left she was there for us a lot. But, she was old and stuff, so... you know..."

"Sorry," Chloe said, placing a hand on Beca's arm. "I feel like I keep bringing up subjects that make you uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about it," Beca said, smiling. "Sorry about the mess," she said, straightening the blanket on the back of the sofa and adjusting the cushions and pillows. "I basically live in this room." She gestured for Chloe to have a seat before going and grabbing her laptop from the coffee table. "My dad has his fancy 'fireplace, scotch and reading' living room, and I have this one. He got mad at me once for knocking over some coffee on his fancy carpet, so I just claimed this room."

"Man, I would kill for a room like this for myself. I'm lucky I have my own bedroom," Chloe said.

Beca sat beside her with the laptop balanced on her lap. "Yeah, guess I'm lucky like that," Beca said, although she didn't sound like she felt lucky. Beca clicked on a play-list in iTunes. "These are all the ones I've finished. I'm gonna go let Jasper in, just listen to whatever you like."

When Beca got back with Jasper in tow, Chloe was listening to her mash up of Just the Way You Are and Just a Dream.

"This is so good," Chloe said.

"Thanks," Beca said, sitting beside Chloe on the sofa. Jasper jumped up onto her lap.

"How long have you been able to do this?"

"Uh I dunno, since I was like 15? My dad got me a laptop for my 15th birthday and it came with a free trial of this really basic music editing software and it all just sort of clicked with me. My dad bought me some proper software and some other bits and pieces and it all went from there. I think he was just relieved I finally found something I enjoyed and was good at. There was a moment when I could have gone off the rails," Beca said, letting the next song play. They didn't speak for a while. Beca put the laptop back on the coffee table and let the play-list play through.

"It's so cool that you know how to do this," Chloe said eventually. "I mean, the most I can do is sing a bit, but this is like... You're making something."

"You sing?" Beca asked, turning to look at her.

"A little. I mean, I don't know how good I am, but I really enjoy it. It's kind of embarrassing but Aubrey and I trying to go to Barden University purely for their a Capella group," Chloe said, not sure why she was suddenly telling her all of this.

"Wow..." Beca said. "That's uh... really lame." Chloe laughed and playfully hit her in the arm.

"Shut up," she said, causing Beca to laugh too.

"No, I'm serious, I don't think I can be friends with someone this uncool," Beca said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Please, you wish you were cool enough to be friends with me," Chloe said.

"You know you're right," Beca said. "All this time I should have been focusing on a Capella. So much wasted time."

"Well if you come to Barden too, maybe Aubrey and I could show you the way," Chloe said.

"Listen, if I have it my way, I won't be going to college at all. But even if I did, my dad teaches at Barden, so I think my plan is to avoid it like the plague," Beca said.

"You're not going to college?" Chloe asked, surprised.

"My dad wants me to," Beca said. "But I honestly don't think it's for me. All this... academia and stuff just doesn't click in my head. All the tests and papers and shit stress me out. I'd rather try and get a job at a record label or something."

"I guess it's not for everyone," Chloe said. She had never even considered not going to college. She'd spent the majority of her time at school trying to get straight A's so she could get a scholarship to go, since her parents wouldn't be able to afford to send her.

"Thanks for not trying to tell me why I'm wrong," Beca said.

"Why would I do that?"

"It's just what people do, isn't it? You know the whole, 'DJing is a hobby, not a profession.' 'You've got to get an education first and then you can waste time after.'" Beca said.

"If making music is what you want to do then you should absolutely go for it," Chloe said. "I mean, I definitely think you're good enough."

"Thank you," Beca said, smiling almost shyly. "That's really nice of you to say."

Chloe smiled back at her.

They sat listening to the music for a little while longer until Beca's stomach rumbled.

"Well that's embarrassing," Beca said, picking up her laptop and going onto the Domino's website. "I should probably order the pizza. Is there a specific topping you'd like or are you cool with just a large pepperoni?"

"That sounds great," Chloe said her smile faltering slightly.

"Awesome," Beca said, ordering it in a few clicks. "I'll put these tracks on a USB for you if you still want one?"

"Oh definitely," Chloe said, watching as Beca rummaged around in a drawer in one of the side tables. She pulled a USB out and began copying the songs over.

Jasper had settled between the two with his head resting on Beca's leg. Every so often she would reach down and stroke his head, and he would nudge her hand with his head when she stopped.

"He is the cutest," Chloe said, stroking his back. "I think I'm in love."

"Well feel free to come over whenever," Beca said, smiling as Jasper moved so his front paws were now resting on Chloe's leg. "I'm sure he gets bored of my company."

"That can't be true," Chloe said, laughing as he yawned and climbed so he was sitting fully in her lap. "So, do you wanna watch a movie while we eat the pizza?"

"Um... Here's the thing... I kind of hate movies?" Beca said, laughing at the look of shock on Chloe's face.

"But... But how can you not like movies?!"

"They're just so predictable. For once I'd like to see a movie where the good guy doesn't win and doesn't get the girl," Beca said.

"Well now you've given me a task," Chloe said.

"I have?"

"Yes," Chloe said. "You've given me music, and I'm going to give you a movie you'll enjoy."

"Dude, trust me, Jesse has tried this with me like a million times. It never works," she said. "The only movie I can remember enjoying is Mean Girls and that's purely because I'm in love with Tina Fey."

"Oh my god, I love Tina Fey too!" Chloe said. "Did you like 30 Rock?"

"Did I like it?" Beca stood up and withdrew the DVD box set from the shelves beside her TV.

The doorbell rang and Jasper ran out of the room barking. "You put this on," she said, handing the box set to Chloe, "and I'll get the pizza."

They spent the next few hours watching 30 Rock and eating the enormous pizza Beca had ordered.

Although Beca couldn't help but notice the fact that Chloe had barely touched her first slice by the time Beca had gotten through her fourth.

"You don't have to eat it," she said, feeding Jasper her crust.

"Hmm?" Chloe asked, absentmindedly. She'd spent the last few minutes just staring at it, trying to force herself to take another bite.

"The pizza," Beca said. "You don't have to eat it if you aren't hungry. I won't get offended."

Chloe hesitated.

She could just put it down and apologise and no one would need to know.

Her mom would ask her what she'd had and she could say she had some pizza. She wouldn't have to say how much.

She went to put it down but something stopped her.

"Actually, I do need to eat it," she said. She felt Beca turn to look at her. "I had... have... I have trouble eating sometimes." Her voice was so quiet that Beca had to turn down the TV to hear her. "I'm in recovery now," she said, feeling tears begin to burn her eyes, "but every now and then I just... I still struggle with it."

Beca was quiet for a minute. "Okay," she said. "What do you normally do when you're having trouble?"

"Usually my Mom sits with me until I've eaten a normal amount. It can take hours sometimes, but she doesn't let me leave until it's done."

"Right," Beca said, nodding slightly. "I think I can do that."

"What do you mean?"

"Two slices would be a normal portion, right? I mean, I know I just ate four but that was just excessive," Beca said. "Do distractions help? Because I can put 30 Rock back on, or I can play some music or something."

"Beca, you don't have to-"

"I know I don't have to," Beca said. "But we're friends, right? And friends help each other out when they need them."

Chloe smiled and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Uh, it's okay," Beca said, awkwardly patting Chloe on the shoulder, causing her to laugh. "Sorry, I'm not very good at this."

"You're a lot better than you think you are," Chloe said. She picked up the pizza slice again. "Two slices, right?"

"Right," Beca said. "Just, uh, tell me what you need and I'll help if I can."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's the latest chapter, please please please review!**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Over the next month, Beca and Chloe's friendship progressed quickly. They didn't spend a lot of time together in school, but if they weren't hanging out after, then they were constantly texting.

When they did hang out, they would spend their time listening to music, doing homework, or just talking about nothing. They always did it at Beca's house, but Chloe still hadn't met her dad.

In their one shared class, Beca would often give Chloe new USBs full of mixes, and Chloe would give Beca a DVD of movie she thought she'd like. So far, Beca hadn't liked any of them, but she at least watched them, which, as far as Chloe was concerned, was a start.

"You gotta step up your game, Beale," Beca said one afternoon in English. She dropped Chloe's copy of Clueless on the desk.

"You didn't like it?!"

"She gets with her brother!" Beca said, incredulous.

"Not her real brother!" Chloe said back.

"You're killing me with these romances," Beca said, shaking her head.

"Fine, no more romance," Chloe said. "Have you got anything for me?"

Beca reached into her bag and pulled out a packet of Reece's Pieces. She tossed them to Chloe, who found a USB taped to the back.

"You don't have to give me candy to bribe me to listen to your music, you know," Chloe said, smiling.

Beca shrugged. "It's Halloween on Saturday, and I bought too much." She hesitated before heading for her seat. "Um, my dad's out of town again and I'm having a sort of party on Saturday. Just, you know, nothing big. Do you wanna come? Aubrey you and Stacie are totally welcome to come too. It's just me Jesse, Benji and Amy so far. We're just gonna listen to some music and-"

"Becs, you're rambling again," Chloe said, grinning. "We'll be there."

"We will?" Aubrey asked, looking between the two.

Ms. Abernathy-McKadden walked in and Beca had to take her seat before getting a definite answer.

"You'll come with me, right?" Chloe asked in a hushed voice after Ms. Abernathy-McKadden had set their work for the day.

"I thought we didn't do parties," Aubrey said.

"Come on Aubrey, I don't want to go without you," Chloe said, glancing up to make sure they hadn't been spotted talking.

"Look, we both know you'll ditch me as soon as we get there," Aubrey said. "And you know what Stacie's like, she'll disappear within five minutes and we'll find her making out with some guy an hour later."

"So do you think she'll end up with Benji or Jesse?" Chloe said, her voice laced in sarcasm. "This won't be like a party-party."

"Why do you even want me to go? You only want to go so you can hang out with Beca all night, I don't see why I'm needed for that," Aubrey said, an edge to her voice.

"'Bree," Chloe said, "of course I want you to go, you're my best friend."

"Am I?"

"Girls!" Abernathy-McKadden said loudly. "Enough chit-chat please!"

Chloe stole a glance at Aubrey and saw that she was trying to subtly wipe her eyes. She felt a pang of guilt. She still hadn't told Aubrey what she'd told her Mom that night. She realised she hadn't told Aubrey much over the past few weeks. She'd been too preoccupied with Beca.

When the bell rang at the end of the lesson, Aubrey left the room before Chloe could speak to her.

"So, are you coming on Saturday?" Beca asked, pulling on her jacket.

"Um, maybe. I really want to but Aubrey doesn't really do parties. I'll text you later and let you know, okay?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "No problem."

Chloe quickly chased after Aubrey, but the blonde had already gotten into her car and pulled out of the parking lot. Chloe sighed, contemplating the long walk home.

"Need a ride?" Beca asked, walking up behind her.

"Please," Chloe said, smiling.

Beca smiled back and the two headed for Beca's truck.

"Is everything okay?" Beca asked as she cranked up the heat and switched on some music.

"I don't know," Chloe said. "I've been a bit of a terrible friend to Aubrey lately."

"How come?" Beca asked, frowning. She couldn't imagine Chloe being anything other than an amazing friend.

"I've been a bit neglectful I think. Not deliberately, but, you know, it used to be basically just the two of us. And I've not spent much time with her," Chloe said, looking out of the window so she could avoid eye-contact with Beca.

"Shit," Beca said, "I'm sorry. I've been taking up all your time."

"It's not your fault," Chloe said. "I just... I like spending time with you."

Beca couldn't help but grin. "I like spending time with you too."

"And it's not that I don't like spending time with Aubrey," Chloe said. "Because of course I do. She's my best friend. It's just different with you."

"You should talk to her," Beca said.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I feel terrible."

Beca glanced over again. Chloe was still staring out of the window, frowning. Her hands were clenched together in her lap.

She had to resist the sudden impulse to reach across and take her hand.

"You shouldn't feel terrible," she said. "You're a really good friend."

"Not lately. I messed up."

"You don't have to be perfect," Beca said. "You're allowed to mess up, you're human. You don't have to set these impossibly high standards."

Chloe didn't say anything for a few minutes. She just kept looking out of the window.

"Sorry," Beca said, eventually. "I'm not very good at this. I never know what to say."

Chloe shook her head, finally turning to look at her. "You're much better than you think you are. Could you do me one more favor?"

"Anything," Beca said.

"Could you take me to Aubrey's? I get the feeling she'll ignore my calls and I really need to speak to her."

"Yeah, no problem," Beca said.

* * *

Aubrey knew she was being hard on Chloe, but she couldn't help it. They'd been best friends forever. Always just the the two of them. She told Chloe everything, and Chloe used to tell her everything. But lately, it had all changed.

And she knew she shouldn't blame that Beca girl for it, but she kinda did.

"Aubrey," her mom called up the stairs.

Aubrey poked her head out of her bedroom.

"What is it?"

"Chloe's here," she said. "Shall I send her up?"

Aubrey swallowed slightly. "Sure," she said.

She went back into her room and straightened her bed before sitting back down again.

Chloe entered looking almost shy. She hovered near the door before Aubrey gestured for her to sit down. Instead of joining Aubrey on the bed like she usually would, she sat down on the desk chair.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice quiet. "I've been a terrible friend. I didn't mean to... to ignore you. I just... It's hard to explain. I really am sorry though. You're my best friend and I let you down."

Aubrey looked at her. She really did look and sound sorry. She was clenching her hands together like she always did when something was stressing her out or bothering her, and her eyes were shining with tears.

"I know you didn't mean to," Aubrey said. "I know you'd never do it deliberately, you don't have a malicious bone in your body." Chloe smiled and looked up at her. "I don't mind if you have other friends, but I just don't like being... shut out. Ever since you got a ride home with her, it was like I didn't exist anymore. Obviously you can spend time with whoever you want just, you know, text me or something. Don't leave me there wondering why you just wandered off."

"I know," Chloe said. "I'm so sorry. I can get tunnel vision sometimes, and I just need to be snapped out of it."

"It's okay," Aubrey said. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, and I'm sorry I left you at school without a ride. That was shitty."

Chloe shrugged. "I guess I deserved it. And Beca gave me a ride here so it's okay. She doesn't want to steal me from you or anything. She feels really bad too. And she said not to worry about the party if you don't want to go."

"But you want to go, right?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah but it's okay. We can just hang out the two of us," Chloe said.

Aubrey looked at her. "We can go to the party, I just want to know why you want to."

"What do you mean?"

"We don't do parties. _You_ don't do parties. So why do you want to go to this one? You can see Beca anytime, and you don't know her friends," Aubrey said.

Chloe let out a small puff of air, as if bracing herself slightly. "Remember when you dragged me to Daniel Free's party?"

"That was different," Aubrey said. "I liked him."

Chloe smiled slightly. "It's... It's not that different."

"Wait, what?"

"I like her, 'Bree," Chloe said, her voice much quieter. "I really like her. And I think she might like me too."

Aubrey didn't say anything for what felt like a life time.

"So... So you like girls?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I like girls. I also like boys."

"Right... Okay... So... So I guess we're going to this party, huh?"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey my lovelies! Please please please keep reviewing! It really keeps me motivated!**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

 **Chloe: Hey, we got things sorted out. Thanks for driving me, you're the best :) See you Saturday! P.S. is it a costume party? xx**

Beca smiled down at her phone, her stomach doing a flip at the thought of Chloe coming to her party.

"Becs, I'm talking to you, could you maybe put the phone down for two seconds?" Her dad said, piling spaghetti onto their two plates.

"Sorry," Beca said, putting her phone down onto the kitchen counter top. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying, remember I'm going away on Friday and I'll be back Tuesday," he said, putting Beca's plate down in front of her.

"Yeah, I know," she said, her eyes drifting to her phone again. "What is it this time? Another conference? You go on a lot of those."

"Actually, this time I'm going to NYU to do a talk," he said, pouring himself a glass of wine.

"Oh," Beca said. "What's your talk on?"

"Do you honestly care?" He asked, sitting in the chair opposite her.

She shrugged. "I guess not."

They sat in silence for a while, the only noise in the kitchen was the sound of cutlery scraping across their plates.

Eventually Beca picked up her phone and replied to Chloe's text.

 **Beca: Awesome! Glad you both worked things out. And no costumes, just a bunch of awkward teens getting drunk on weak beer xx**

"How's school?" Her dad asked when she put her phone down again.

She shrugged again. "Fine," she said.

"Keeping up with all your homework?"

"Yep," she said. "You don't need to worry."

"I wasn't worried," he said, scraping the last of the spaghetti and sauce onto his fork. "But, you know, it's an important year. If you don't stay on top of things that can hurt your chances of getting into college."

Beca sighed. "Dad," she said. "We talked about this. I don't want to go to college."

"You say that now," he said, "but once all your friends have gone off to college you'll regret not going with them. And don't forget, you'll actually get to go for free, so there's really nothing to lose. I mean, that's providing you get grades high enough to get into Barden but if you carry on working hard then-"

"I'm gonna go to bed," Beca said, cutting him off. "I should get cracking on that homework, right?"

"Sure," he said. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah," she said, "night."

She left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to her room, Jasper hot on her heels.

When she closed the door behind them, she looked between her bed and her desk. Her desk was all set up with her notebook ready to copy the day's notes from, but she just didn't have the energy for it. She was tired and there was a sense of unhappiness she couldn't quite place.

She pinned the blame on her dad, and his insisting that she go to college, never listening to what she had to say on the matter. But deeper down, she knew it had to do with him, once again, leaving her alone in the house. She didn't usually mind, but what were once trips that he made every few months were turning into trips every few weeks. And the fact that he would be away this weekend...

Beca shook her head and decided that she didn't care. With him gone, she could have her party, and hopefully hang out with Chloe all night. Although she had to be careful that Aubrey wasn't left on her own. She didn't want to be the cause of the two friends having another argument.

Instead of sitting at her desk to work, she flopped down onto her bed and pulled out her phone. She knew she'd regret it tomorrow when she had twice the amount of work to do, but she just didn't have the energy to do it tonight.

* * *

Chloe was sat at her crowded kitchen table, wanting nothing more than to disappear to her room and text Beca.

She had managed the majority of her dinner without any issue, and she felt considerably happier after she'd spoken to Aubrey.

Her best friend had accepted what she'd told her without question or judgement, and after the initial surprise, it was as if she'd always known. It made her feel better about coming out to other people.

After Aubrey had driven her home, she'd barely had time to have a quick conversation with her mom before the family descended on the kitchen for dinner.

"If Chloe's allowed to stay out on Saturday then I should be too," Lucy complained as their mom began loading their empty plates into the dishwasher.

"Chloe's four years older than you, and she isn't in trouble for being late to school three times last week," their mom responded.

Their mom had given Chloe permission to go to Beca's party and then stay at Aubrey's after providing she didn't drink and kept her phone on so they could call and check up on her.

She knew her parents always felt a pang of anxiety whenever she spent the night somewhere else, but she would be going to college soon, and they knew they couldn't watch her forever.

"I don't know how you've been late, you leave here with plenty of time," she said.

"It's not my fault," Lucy said, incredulous in a way that only teenagers could be. "Ashley takes so long to do her hair she makes us late!"

Their dad, who was scooping ice cream into bowls chuckled. "You can go to your friend's on Saturday if you're on time for school everyday this week," he said. Their mom looked like she wanted to argue, but they always made an effort not to disagree or undermine each other in front of the kids. "Ice cream, Chloe?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I'm good thanks, dad," she said. Her phone had buzzed in her pocket and she was eager to leave the table so she could check it. "I'm gonna go get started on my homework."

She saw her parents quickly glance at each other before her mom spoke.

"Okay sweetie."

She pulled out her phone once she'd gotten into her room.

 **Beca: My dad's been home for like a week, you'd think we'd be able to have one dinner without him bringing up college -.- xx**

Chloe felt the same flip in her stomach that she always did when she saw Beca's name on her phone and quickly typed out her response.

 **Chloe: Ah that sucks, I'm sorry. If it makes you feel better, I got to hear all about how unfair it is that I get to go out on Saturday but my 13 year old sister does not xx**

 **Beca: That does seem unfair. You should invite her along, I'm sure she'd love it ;) xx**

Before Chloe could respond, her phone buzzed again.

 **Beca: BTW I'm really glad you're coming :) xx**

 **Chloe: Yeah, me too xx**

There was a knock on Chloe's door not long after.

"Come in," Chloe said, putting her phone down. Her mom came in and closed the door behind her.

"So, party at Beca's huh?" She said, sitting down on the bed beside her daughter. "You guys have been spending a lot of time together recently."

"Yeah," Chloe said, smiling slightly. "She's cool. I really like her."

"Do you still like like her?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I do."

"Does she know?" Her mom asked, smiling as Chloe's face seemed to light up.

"I don't think so," Chloe said. "I don't even know if she's... you know... into girls. But even if she's not, I like being friends with her."

"You'll have to bring her around for dinner one night. I need to meet this girl," her mom said.

"I think our family would terrify her," Chloe said, laughing at the thought.

"It's nice to see you smiling again," her mom said, tucking a strand of Chloe's hair behind her ear. "You scared me for a while, there."

Chloe didn't say anything. She just smiled and let her mom pull her into a hug.

"Are you gonna tell her?"

"I don't know yet. Do you think I should?" Chloe asked.

"I think you should do whatever feels right," her mom said, kissing her on the side of the head. "Okay, I've got a stack of ironing to get done."

"Okay," Chloe said. "Love you, mom."

"Love you too sweetie."

* * *

"Party party party!" Fat Amy yelled as Beca answered her door on Saturday evening.

"Tell all the neighbours why don't you," Beca said, standing aside so Amy could enter. She was carrying three cases of beer. "Should I even ask how you got those?"

"I've got my ways, Beca Mitchell," she said, winking.

She followed Beca through the house and into the den at the back. Jesse and Benji were already there, involved in a heated game of Mario Kart.

"How much do I owe you?" Beca asked, taking the cases out of Amy's arms and putting them on a table at the back of the room.

"Consider it a gift," Amy said. "Plus, technically, I didn't actual pay for it."

Beca opened her mouth before deciding she'd rather not know.

Jesse came over and grabbed a can.

"Nice!" He said, opening it up and drinking. "Let's party!"

"Party isn't a verb, Jess," she said, taking a can for herself.

"When did you graduate from Kill-Joy University?"

"When I was six," she said, taking a drink.

This was only the third time she'd ever drunk beer, and she pulled a face at the taste of it.

"Gross," she said, shuddering.

"You don't drink it for the taste," Jesse said before heading back over to Benji. "Want one?" He asked him. Benji shook his head.

Around an hour later there was another knock at the door and Beca felt her stomach jolt.

By now, Jesse and Amy were in the middle of a game of beer pong, and Benji was acting as their ref. Beca had been in the corner, happily creating a play-list.

Chloe felt suddenly nervous as she waited for Beca to answer the door. She was worried that in her jeans and floaty blue top she was under dressed.

But when Beca opened the door, the brunette gave her a smile that melted all the fear away.

She was wearing skinny dark blue jeans and a long black t-shirt with 'Crows Before Hoes" written in the Game of Thrones font. She had her trademark dark eye makeup on, and her hair had been lightly curled.

Chloe didn't think she'd ever seen anyone so gorgeous.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Me again! Please help me out by reviewing, it keeps me motivated and also just makes me happy.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Jasper barked happily at the sight of Chloe and he followed them into the den, jumping up every now and then, trying to get Chloe's attention.

"Help yourselves to beer or soda or whatever you like," Beca said, gesturing to the table of drinks. "I ordered pizza like half an hour ago so we should get it within the next ten working days."

Chloe laughed and Beca grinned at the sound. She picked up her third beer and took a drink. She was getting more used to the taste, but it still wasn't good.

Stacie, who had known Amy before she left for college, went over to cheer her on in beer pong, grabbing a can off the side and opening it.

Benji, who'd gotten bored of refereeing, asked Aubrey if she wanted to have a game of Mario Kart.

"Sure," Aubrey said. She knew Chloe would want some time to talk to Beca, and this seemed like a good opportunity to give it to her.

"Huh," Beca said, finishing her can, "Aubrey didn't strike me as the video game type."

"How many of those have you had?" Chloe asked, chuckling slightly.

"That would be number 3," she said, tossing the empty can into a temporary trash box under the table. "D'you want one?" She asked, aware of her own voice slurring slightly.

"I'm good, thanks," Chloe said. "I promised my mom I wouldn't. And plus Aubrey is driving us back to hers tonight so she can't drink."

"Fair enough," Beca said, picking up her fourth.

Chloe was about to question her but decided against it. She thought Beca seemed a little off, but maybe it was just her imagination.

"I like your shirt," Chloe said.

"Oh," Beca said, looking down, "thanks. It was a birthday present from Jesse."

"Nice," Chloe said. "When was your birthday?"

Beca suddenly looked awkward. "Um, it's today."

"Today?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Chloe said, feeling guilty. "I didn't get you anything!"

"Dude, it's okay," Beca said. "I don't really care about my birthday. I tend to just ignore it and focus on Halloween."

"But it's your birthday!" Chloe said.

Beca just shrugged and took another drink. "It's not a big deal." She looked... Sad. Chloe had to fight the urge to hug her. To take her to one side and ask if she was okay.

And then something seemed to click.

"Beca," she said, "it's... It's your 18th birthday."

"Ah ha," Beca said.

"And... And your dad's away." She saw Beca tense and take another drink.

"He just... He forgets things like this," Beca said. "We never make a big deal about birthdays."

"He forgot about your birthday?" Chloe asked, before she could stop herself. She was outraged at the thought that if Beca hadn't organised this party, she'd be spending her 18th alone. Beca just nodded and drank again.

"He, uh, he has a "talk" at NYU." She used air-quotes on talk. "I'm trying to work out if he has a whole secret family or if it's just a girlfriend. I mean, he's an English professor. How many conferences can he have?"

She hadn't spoken to anyone about her suspicious about what her dad was up to, but she couldn't seem to stop herself telling Chloe. She blamed it on the beer, and threw away her fourth empty can, deciding to take a break.

A second later she found herself being hugged by Chloe.

She froze for a second, unsure how to respond, before she hesitantly hugged her back.

"I know it's easier to pretend you don't care," Chloe said quietly, "but it's okay to be upset about this."

Beca didn't say anything, but Chloe felt her nod against her.

"Um, sorry to break this up," Jesse said, sounding less than sorry. "But the pizza guy is here."

"Right," Beca said, ending their hug and reaching into her pocket for her cash. "I'll be back in a second.

"You're Chloe, right?" Jesse asked once Beca had left.

"Yeah," Chloe said.

"So you're the reason Beca disappeared," he said. He said it with a laugh, but he didn't look like he was joking.

"I guess so," Chloe said. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she left Jesse and went to sit by Aubrey, who was now locked in a Mario Kart race with Fat Amy. Chloe was glad that she seemed to be having fun.

Beca returned and put the pizza on the table, telling everyone to help themselves.

"Okay birthday girl," Jesse said, putting an arm around her shoulder. "I believe you owe me a game of beer pong."

"I was actually gonna take a drinking break," Beca said.

"Boo!" He said. "Come on Becs, you're only 18 once."

"Technically you're 18 for a whole year, and I think 21 is the year of beer pong and bad decisions," she said, shrugging his arm off of her shoulders.

"Dude, one game, that's all I'm asking for," he said, looking almost hurt.

"Fine," she sighed.

She watched as Jesse filled up some solo cups and got a new ping-pong ball. She thought she could feel Chloe watching her, but when she turned around, the redhead was having a conversation with Aubrey.

"So, how's it going?" Aubrey asked in a hushed voice, having handed over the controller to Stacie.

"Okay I think," Chloe said back. "I'm gonna give her some space for a bit so she can hang with Jesse and then I'll maybe try and talk to her about it."

Aubrey gave her arm a squeeze and grinned. "If she doesn't like you, she's crazy."

"Dude, you suck at this," Jesse said as Beca missed once again.

"It's not fair," Beca said, groaning as Jesse easily landed the ball in one of her few remaining drinks. "The more you drink, the worse your aim gets. This game is pitted against the drunk one!"

"No one said beer pong was fair Beca," Jesse said. "Your turn."

"I gotta stop," she said, putting the ball down on the table. "If I don't eat something I'm gonna throw up."

"Are you forfeiting the match?"

"Yeah," she said, stumbling slightly as she walked away. "Whatever you say."

She grabbed some pizza and retreated to her corner where her laptop was. Her current play-list was about to end so she started queuing up more tracks.

Jasper came and sat by her, nuzzling her leg with his head so she would feed him her pizza crusts. Once she'd finished with her laptop, she ended up just sat on the floor beside her dog, and he eagerly jumped onto her lap.

"You okay there?" Chloe asked a clearly drunk Beca. She sat down on the floor beside her, a slice of pizza in her hand.

"Mmm hmm," Beca said, nodding. She smiled at the pizza in Chloe's hand. "Are you having fun?"

"I am," Chloe said. "Are you?"

"I think so," Beca replied. "Beer is gross though. You shouldn't drink it. It's gross. It tastes like... Evil."

Chloe giggled.

"You have a cute laugh," Beca said.

Chloe smiled. "Thank you, you drunkard." A part of her was telling her to go for it with Beca. To tell her how she felt. But the other more sensible part knew that now wasn't the time. Beca was drunk, and seemed almost unhappy. "How come you're sitting all by yourself in the corner?"

"I'm not by myself," Beca said. "You're here."

"Touche."

"I like it in the corner," she said, her voice a little softer. "It's quieter. I don't have to talk when it's just me."

"You don't like talking much, huh?"

Beca shook her head. "I like talking to you, though." And then she surprised herself and Chloe by resting her head on Chloe's shoulder.

Almost no one else at the party was paying them any attention. Aubrey had glanced over before turning away and smiling. Jesse, however, was watching them intently.

"I used to talk a lot as a kid," Beca said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I was a real chatterbox. I was always singing and making up stories. My grandma once said I even used to talk in my sleep. I used to get told off in class because I was always telling jokes. I just... I never shut up," Beca said. She didn't know why she was suddenly sharing this with Chloe, but she couldn't seem to stop herself.

Chloe was struggling to imagine this version of Beca. "So, what happened? How come you're so quiet now?"

"My mom left," she said softly. "And I thought... You know she was always complaining I made too much noise. So I thought, maybe if I just... shut up. Maybe she'd come back. Because it must have been my fault, right? I mean, a mother doesn't leave her kid, unless the kid is awful. Mother's don't just walk out on kids they love."

"Beca," Chloe said softly.

"So I shut up. I stopped singing and stopped chattering. I didn't mess around in school. I... God, this sounds so dumb. I used to pray. I used to beg for her to come home. And she didn't. But by the time I realised that she'd never be back, I wasn't the same anymore. I liked being quiet and invisible. It's hard to get hurt when people don't even know you're there," Beca said, her voice still barely above a whisper.

Chloe thought her heart might break. She couldn't bare the thought of Beca blaming herself for her mom walking out.

"It wasn't your fault you know," Chloe said, her voice just as quiet.

"I know," Beca said. "But there's always a part of you that never stopped being a terrified six year old."

Chloe put her arm around Beca and squeezed her. Beca couldn't help but notice how much nicer it was to feel Chloe's arm around her instead of Jesse's.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," Chloe said.

"Thanks for listening," Beca replied. She sounded more sober now, Chloe was relieved to hear. "I'm not sure where all that came from but, you know, you leave things to build up and sometimes they just come out."

"I know all too well," Chloe said. She stood up and pulled Beca to her feet. "You owe me a game of Mario Kart."

The rest of the evening passed quickly without incidence, and soon it was time for Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie to leave. Aubrey and Stacie headed for the car, while Chloe lingered on Beca's doorstep with her.

"Thanks for having us," Chloe said, smiling.

"Thank you for coming," Beca replied. "And, uh, thank you for listening to all of my crazy." Chloe laughed.

"Anytime," she said.

They both suddenly became aware of how close they were to each other. And Chloe couldn't help but notice the way Beca's eyes had drifted down towards her lips.

"Beca?"

"Ah ha?"

"Can I-

"Beca! I think your dog wants to go out!" Jesse called from inside.

Beca sighed and turned to look back into the house.

"I should probably go before Jasper pees everywhere," Beca said.

"Yeah, Aubrey will be beeping her horn soon," Chloe said. "I had a really nice time Beca."

"Me too," Beca said.

Before she left, Chloe kissed Beca on the cheek.

"I'll text you tomorrow," she said, before she turned and left.

Beca swallowed, and headed back into the house almost in a daze.

"You know," she said to Jesse as she opened the back door to let Jasper out, "all you had to do was open the door. You didn't need my help."

"Sorry! Was I interrupting something?" He asked.

"No," Beca said. She turned back to look at the now closed front door, wishing Chloe was still there.

"Come on," he said, "I'll help you clean up."

Amy and Benji had already left, so it was just the two of them in the house. All Beca really wanted to do was go to bed. Her head had started hurting around half an hour ago and now there was just a throbbing pain behind her eyes.

"It's okay," she said. "You can go home I'll do it in the morning."

"It won't take two minutes," he said, before heading to the den.

She sighed and followed him.

Around half an hour later and the room was tidy. Beca had to admit that she was relieved she wouldn't be left with the job in the morning. She sat down on the sofa with a contented sigh.

Jesse sat beside her.

"Good night then?" He asked.

"Yeah," Beca said, picturing the moment she'd shared with Chloe. She thought she'd feel embarrassed about having told her such a private part of her life. She had told Chloe things that Jesse didn't even know. But she didn't feel embarrassed. She felt almost relieved. Almost happy.

That feeling didn't last.

Jesse ruined it in two seconds when he closed the gap between them and kissed her.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Jesse what the fuck?!" Beca said, pulling away from him and standing up.

His smile dropped and was quickly replaced by a look of confusion.

"Wait, what?" He said. "I thought... You've been giving me signals all night, I thought this was what you wanted!"

"What are you talking about?" Beca said. She felt angry and sick. The pounding in her head was getting worse. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down. "What signals?"

"Well... You know... All the looks and stuff," he said, sounding uncertain. He was beginning to doubt what a few minutes ago he'd been certain of. "And anyway, you like me right?"

"As a friend, Jesse!" Beca said, her temper flaring again. "Jesus Christ, I'm gay! You know that! You of all people!"

"Yeah, but I thought-"

"You thought what?!"

"I thought you liked me! I just... I guess I misread things," he said, looking annoyed now.

"Yeah, you definitely misread things," Beca said, still pacing. "God, I'm so mad, Jess! You're my best friend. I told you before I told anyone else that I liked girls. I think I was pretty fucking explicit about it. Did you choose to ignore that, or did you think you could just change me?"

"Alright, take it easy! But in my defence, you acted like you liked me! So I thought, okay maybe she's bi or maybe she just likes me or something," Jesse said.

"I acted like a friend acts," Beca said. "I never, not once, indicated that I wanted to be more than just friends. If there was any confusion, you should have just talked to me." Jesse let out a laugh of disbelief. "I think you should go."

"I'm a nice guy," he said, standing up. "But you don't want a nice guy, right?"

"Are you fucking listening to yourself right now? I don't want any guy period! And to be honest, you're not coming across as a nice guy right now," she said. He didn't make any move to leave.

"I can't believe you're so mad about this. It was just a kiss," he said.

"It wasn't just a kiss," she said. "It was you making an assumption that because I was being a friend, that means I want to date you, regardless of my sexuality."

"Okay I made a mistake but you don't have to act like such a bitch about it!" He said, his anger getting the better out of him. As soon as the words came out of his mouth he regretted them. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Just go," she said.

"Beca-"

"Please. Please just get out of my house."

He sighed and left.

When Beca heard the door slam, she sunk down onto the sofa and started crying.

She felt like she'd just been slapped.

She put her head in her hands and tried to make sense of what had happened. Ten minutes ago she'd been happy and now she felt like she'd just been betrayed by her best friend. She reached for her phone. Her instinct was telling her to text Chloe. She didn't want to be alone, and she knew she'd never get to sleep, so she thought maybe talking it through with her would help. But before she even unlocked her phone she stopped and put it down. She had already burdened Chloe with enough of her problems tonight.

She could hear Jasper barking from outside, so she forced herself to stand up and walk to the kitchen. She opened the back door and Jasper came running in. The blast of cold air from outside felt good, so she sat on the doorstep and closed her eyes. Jasper started nudging her with his head, so she reached out and stroked him. He climbed onto her lap and sat there, not moving while Beca started to cry again.

* * *

"So, did you tell her?" Aubrey asked once she and Chloe were back in her room and had changed into their pyjamas. Aubrey had dropped Stacie off on the way back, while Chloe had been reassuring her mom on the phone that she was okay and hadn't been drinking. This was the first chance they'd had to discuss everything.

"No," Chloe said. "She was in a weird place I think. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable."

"Well, if you ask me, she seemed really into you," Aubrey said, smiling at the way her friend grinned and blushed. "The way her face lit up whenever she saw you, you could just tell she liked you."

"I really like her, 'Bree," Chloe said, biting her lip slightly. "But maybe we're just misreading things? I mean, she could have just been being friendly."

"She was friendly to everyone else," Aubrey said. "Well... As friendly as Beca can be. But she was different with you."

"I don't want to assume-"

"Just talk to her about it! That's not assuming," Aubrey said. "Look, I may have forgotten my jacket at her place. So tomorrow you just give her a call, I'll drop you off so you can get it, and then talk to her. Easy!"

Chloe laughed. It felt anything but easy. But she had to try.

When she woke up the next morning, Chloe had to force herself to wait until at least 10am before calling Beca. She ate breakfast with Aubrey and then nervously paced the bedroom until she thought Beca would be awake. She knew the brunette liked to sleep in whenever she could.

When she couldn't wait anymore, she picked up her phone and dialed Beca's number.

Beca was sitting at the base of the tree, in the clearing, in the woods by her house. She has been there since dawn, after a completely sleepless night. Jasper was huddled beside her, not wanting to run around like he usually did.

Beca was sitting perfectly still, watching the shadows on the ground change as the sun rose. Her eyes itched with tiredness and it was bitterly cold, but she didn't want to return to the house yet. She felt calmer out here.

Her phone ringing in her pocket caused Jasper to start barking, and it snapped Beca out of her thoughts. When she saw Chloe's name on the screen, she almost smiled.

"Hey," she said, aware of her voice shaking slightly from the cold.

"Hi!" Chloe said back, as cheerful as ever. "Sorry to call you so early."

"It's fine," Beca said. "What's up?"

"Aubrey thinks she left her jacket last night, could you check if it's there?" Chloe asked, knowing full well it was.

"Uh, sure," Beca said. "I'll check when I get home and give you a text."

"Oh, you're not home?" Chloe asked, surprised. "I'd have thought you'd be sleeping off your hangover this morning."

"Yeah, that was the plan. Couldn't sleep though so I've just been out with Jasper," Beca said. She was trying to make her voice sound normal, but she wasn't quite pulling it off. She hoped Chloe couldn't tell.

But of course Chloe could tell. "Is everything okay?" She asked, her voice a little quieter.

Beca hesitated. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead with her free hand. Her head was still pounding. "Yeah," she said eventually, though her voice sounded strained.

"Where are you?" Chloe asked. She sounded concerned now.

"I'm... I'm okay. I'm just at the woods by my house," Beca said.

"Okay," Chloe said. "Can I come over? I can just meet you in the woods."

"You don't want to do that," Beca said. "It's freezing and I'm lousy company right now."

Chloe paused for a second. "I know you said you're okay," she said. "But you don't sound okay. Can I please come and meet you? Otherwise I'll be worrying all day."

"Yeah," Beca said eventually. "Yeah, okay. Just keep going straight when you get here. The ground will start sloping, but just keep going in that direction. You'll see me."

"Okay," Chloe said. "I'll see you soon."

Beca hung up and then immediately regretted telling Chloe she could come over. She knew that as soon as she saw her, she'd have to tell her what had happened. And she didn't want to. She just wanted to forget it. But for some reason, she found it impossible to hide things from Chloe. She remembered the urge she'd felt the night before to text her. She had managed to resist it, maybe she'd be able to this time.

It didn't feel like much time had passed when she heard Jasper start barking again. She looked up to see Chloe half walking, half stumbling down the bank towards her. Beca took out her headphones and half smiled as Chloe reached her.

"Hi," Beca said.

"Hi," Chloe replied, taking a seat beside her on the ground. "You aren't wearing a jacket."

Beca looked down and realised she was still wearing her Game of Thrones t-shirt from the night before. At some point she must have grabbed one of her flannel shirts, but she wasn't wearing any kind of jacket or coat.

"Huh," Beca said. "I didn't realise."

"Did you even sleep last night?" Chloe asked. Beca shook her head. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hands were shaking slightly. Chloe didn't know if it was from the cold or lack of sleep. "Did something happen?"

Beca swallowed slightly, before nodding. She could feel tears stinging her eyes, and she cursed herself for how many times she had cried in front of Chloe over the past few days.

"Okay," Chloe said, "let's get you home and warmed up." She stood up and held out her hand for Beca to take. Beca hesitated. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, but you're gonna catch hypothermia sitting out here. And I bet Jasper's cold too."

Beca looked over at her dog who cocked his head. She took Chloe's hand and the redhead pulled her to her feet.

It didn't take them long to get back to the house, but Beca's hands were shaking too much to get the key in the lock. Chloe gently took the keys from her, and let them into the house. The house was warmer than outside but not by much.

"Can I turn the heat up?" Chloe asked, shivering herself. Beca nodded, hugging herself. Chloe turned up the thermostat and put her hand on Beca's back, steering her towards the den. Beca sat on the sofa, and Chloe took one of the blankets in the room and wrapped it around Beca's shoulders. "Tea?"

"I can do it," Beca said. Chloe gently pushed her back down onto the sofa before she could fully stand up.

"Becs, your hands are shaking so bad you'd end up throwing sugar everywhere," Chloe said, relieved when Beca finally laughed.

"Okay," she said, sitting back on the sofa, defeated.

Chloe had been in Beca's kitchen enough times by know that she knew where everything was, and she knew how Beca took her tea. No milk, two sugars.

She made them both a cup, and returned to the den to find Beca fast asleep on the sofa, Jasper curled up beside her. Chloe smiled and carefully put their tea on the coffee table. She found another blanket and covered Beca with it before she stepped out into the hall to call her mom. She figured she'd be there for a while, and wanted to keep her updated on where she was.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey buddies, here's the latest.**

 **Please please please keep reviewing. It really helps me stay motivated and excited about this fic. It's hard to explain how much reviews help but they really do. So thank you to everyone who reviews, you're keeping me going :)**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Beca woke up when she heard Chloe's hushed conversation in the hall.

"I'm fine, mom," she said.

Beca felt momentarily confused. She wasn't sure how long she'd been sleeping but judging from the steam still rising from the mugs of tea she knew it couldn't have been long. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She was desperate to go back to sleep but she already felt embarrassed about falling asleep the first time, so she forced herself to stay awake.

"Yes," she heard Chloe say.

Beca picked up her tea and took a drink. She smiled when she realised Chloe hadn't asked how she'd taken it, but she'd gotten it right.

"I'm not skipping any meals, Mom." Chloe's voice had an edge to it now, and Beca felt bad that she could hear her side of the conversation. "I had breakfast with Aubrey, and I'll get some lunch with Beca."

Beca looked down at her lap and realised Chloe must have given her a second blanket. She had been so kind to her it made Beca want to cry again.

Chloe came back into the den and smiled at her.

"Hey," Beca said, moving so Chloe could sit beside her. "Sorry I fell asleep."

"It's okay," Chloe said, picking up her own tea. "You were only asleep for like five minutes tops."

"Still. I invited you over and then passed out, it's pretty rude," Beca said.

"Well clearly you needed it," Chloe said. "And anyway, it's not like you invited me over. I kind of just said I was coming over."

"I guess," Beca said, putting her mug down. Chloe still looked cold, so Beca held out her blankets. "You wanna share?"

"Sure," Chloe said, smiling as she sat closer to Beca so the brunette could cover them both. "So, do you wanna tell me what happened?"

Beca's smile dropped, and she sat back against the sofa. She didn't speak right away, so Chloe took her hand under the blanket and squeezed it. She was surprised to find her hands were still cold.

"You're still freezing," Chloe said, putting more of the blanket on Beca. "You don't have to say anything," she said. "We can just finish our tea and watch 30 Rock and not talk about anything. But you might feel better if you talk about it."

"After you all left last night, Jesse stayed behind to help me clean up," Beca said, eventually. "I told him not to. I just wanted to go to bed, but he insisted. We finished cleaning up and I sat down. I was really happy. I'd had such a good time with you last night and I guess Jesse misread things." She cleared her throat, trying not to look at Chloe. "He kissed me."

"Oh," Chloe said, feeling her heart sink. "Right. Did you want him to?"

"No," Beca said. "Of course I didn't." Chloe looked confused. "Do you really not know?"

"Know what?"

"Chlo', I'm gay," she said.

"You are?" Chloe asked. If her heart had sank before, it shot up now.

"Yeah. Is that a problem for you?" Beca asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

"God no!" Chloe said. "Of course it isn't. I just didn't know."

"I thought everyone knew," Beca said. "When I came out a few years ago, it ended up going around the school."

"Remember when we first met and you told me you didn't listen to rumours?" Chloe asked. Beca nodded. "I don't listen to them either." Beca smiled before looking down again. She let go of Chloe's hand so she could run her hands through her hair. She was still tired and upset and was trying hard to keep it together in front of Chloe. "So, Jesse knows you're gay?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "He was the first person I ever told, actually."

"What happened after he kissed you?"

"I got mad," she said. "Then he got mad. He seemed to think I'd been leading him on, and that I shouldn't be angry at him just because he got the wrong end of the stick. So I made him leave."

"That's really shitty of him," Chloe said. "I'm sorry he did that, Becs."

"You don't think I overreacted?" Beca asked.

"Of course not," Chloe said. "If he genuinely thought you were flirting with him, he should have just spoken to you about it, instead of kissing you and then getting angry."

"Thank you for understanding," Beca said, smiling at last. "And thank you for coming over and making sure I was okay. You're a really good friend, Chloe."

Beca expected Chloe to smile, but she didn't. She bit her lip, like she was working up the courage to say something.

"Are you okay?" Beca asked.

"Ah ha," Chloe said. "It's just... You told me something about yourself. And I kinda feel like it's only fair if I share something with you. But, I've only ever told two people. And it's only something I told myself a few months ago. And I don't know why I'm so nervous but-"

"Chlo'," Beca said, smiling. "You're rambling."

Chloe laughed. "Yeah. I am. So... So the thing is... I'm bi, Beca."

"Oh," Beca said, surprised. "Okay. So you like girls too?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, still looking nervous. "And, I hate to do this now, when you're having a shitty day, but I've been working up the courage to do this for ages. I was going to do it last night, but you were in a weird place and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable and I probably shouldn't be doing this now because of the whole Jesse thing. And I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"Yes," Beca said, with a small laugh. She had begun to feel nervous herself, unsure what Chloe was talking about. "What's going on, Chloe?"

"I... I like you," Chloe said, feeling herself go bright red. _Smooth, Chloe_ , she thought. _Very smooth_.

Beca swallowed slightly. "You... you like me?"

"Yeah."

"As in, _like_ like me?"

"Yeah."

"Like, more than friends?"

"Yes, Beca," Chloe said. Beca was just staring ahead, a look of surprise on her face. Like she'd never have predicted this in a thousand years. "Please say something," Chloe said after a few agonising seconds of silence.

"I just... I don't understand," Beca said. "You're Chloe Beale. _Chloe Beale_. Why would you like someone like me? I'm like, some closed off ass-hole, and you're... You're like the sun in human form. You're like the most stunning girl I've ever met. And I'm... me. Why would you like me?"

"Beca, look at me," Chloe said. Beca did. She could see tears shining in Chloe's eyes. "Because you're beautiful. And you're funny. And kind. And talented. And you might seem closed off to other people, but to me you're open and generous. When I told you about my eating... thing, you didn't run away, or freak out. You were calm, and you cared. You helped. I... I really like you Beca."

Beca reached across and brushed one of Chloe's tears from her cheeks. Chloe closed her eyes at the contact, and soon Beca was hugging her.

"I like you too," she said softly, her breath tickling Chloe's neck.

"You do?" Chloe asked, trying hard not to cry properly.

"I really do," Beca said back.

* * *

Jesse had been sitting in his car that was parked outside of Beca's house for around an hour. He had left it there overnight, having drank too many beers to drive it home.

He had intended on knocking on Beca's door and apologising to her when he went to pick his car up, but before he could, he spotted Beca and Chloe walking out of the woods together. He felt a pang of jealousy when he saw Chloe rest her hand on Beca's back.

 _Of course_ , he thought. _She's been secretly dating Chloe, that's why she was so mad._ He climbed into his car quickly, hoping they hadn't spotted him. He clenched his steering wheel as he watched Chloe take the keys from Beca's hand and lead them into the house. _Why didn't she just tell me? Why did she lead me on when she was already dating someone?_

An hour later, and neither Chloe or Beca had come out. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but he felt too angry to drive home.

* * *

When they finally ended their hug, they ended up lying together on the sofa, both blankets draped over them, as they watched 30 Rock.

"So," Beca said, when she'd gotten comfortable. "Now what?" Her head was on Chloe's chest, and the redhead's arm was wrapped around her.

"Um, I'm not sure really, I didn't think this far ahead," Chloe said, causing Beca to laugh. "Would you maybe like to go on a date with me?"

"I'd love to," Beca said, hoping that Chloe couldn't see her blush from this position. "How about Friday? We could go to the movies?"

"Beca you hate the movies," Chloe said.

"Yeah, but you don't," Beca replied. "And anyway, two hours of holding your hand in the dark while I also get to eat popcorn sounds pretty good to me."

"Holding hands? Beca Mitchell, you dirty bird," Chloe said, causing Beca to laugh.

"What can I say? I'm not one of those people who think that hand-holding before marriage is a sin," Beca said.

"I didn't realise I'd fallen for such a bad-ass," Chloe said. "How about, instead of the movies, we go for like a picnic or something?"

"In November? After school? In the dark?" Beca said.

"Okay, maybe not," she said. "There's nothing to do around here until you're 21."

"That's why we go to the movies," Beca said. "You get to watch some crap on the big screen, and I get to eat and possibly take a little nap."

"You can't nap on our first date," Chloe said, laughing.

"Well then you'll just have to keep me entertained," Beca replied.

Chloe laughed again before they fell into a comfortable silence.

Chloe's hand was gently moving up and down Beca's back, and Beca hand linked Chloe's other hand with her own, and was brushing her thumb across the back of her knuckles.

"Hey," Beca said softly, "why don't we just do this on our date?"

Chloe thought for a minute.

"We can just hang out," Beca said, taking Chloe's silence to mean she'd need convincing. "We can talk, watch TV, listen to music. Then there's no first date pressure. We can just be ourselves. Just be together."

"It's perfect," Chloe said.

"You think so?" Beca asked, craning her neck so she could look up at Chloe.

"I do," Chloe replied, smiling.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey buddies. A massive thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and the all the previous ones. It really helps and it makes me smile :) Please keep it up! It's hard to stay motivated to write something when it feels like no one is reading it, so reviews are really really helpful!**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters.**

* * *

Beca woke up before her alarm on Monday morning. She was on the sofa, the blankets tangled around her, and the 30 Rock theme music was playing on a loop on her TV. There was an ache in her neck and her head was throbbing.

Jasper was sitting on the floor beside the sofa, half barking, half crying. She checked her phone. It was 3am.

She switched off the TV and then headed for the kitchen, Jasper running past her and standing beside the back door.

She let him out and sat down in the kitchen, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She had a few un-read texts from Chloe, and she smiled as she read through them.

 **Chloe: Coming out to my brother and sister. Pray for me xx**

 **Chloe: It was only slightly awkward! I call that a success! xx**

 **Chloe: You totally fell asleep didn't you? I told you not to. I told you to wait until at least 8pm but you didn't. You're gonna wake up at like 2am and then not be able to sleep. xx**

 **Chloe: I'm bored and you're not awake to text me back. *Dramatic sigh* this is why you don't stay up all night. xx**

 **Chloe: Okay, I'm going to bed now. Goodnight Becs. I hope you feel better tomorrow :) xx**

Beca couldn't stop grinning.

After they had decided on what their date would be, Chloe had made them some soup and they returned to the den and ate it in front of the TV. They ended up taking a nap before they took Jasper on another walk. Chloe had held her hand the entire time, and Beca had blushed profusely.

Beca had driven Chloe back home at around 5pm, and the redhead had given her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading into her house. It took Beca a good five minutes to recover and drive back.

She must have fallen asleep while watching TV and slept all the way through 'til 3 am.

She was going to text Chloe back before she remembered what time it was, and she changed her mind. She put her phone in her pocket, let Jasper back in, and headed for bed.

She changed for bed, climbed underneath the covers, and was asleep almost instantly.

* * *

When Chloe had gotten home after Beca had dropped her off, her mom was waiting for her in the kitchen.

"Well?" She asked, her eyebrows raised.

Chloe checked to see that none of the other family members were around before she joined her mom at the kitchen table.

"She likes me too," Chloe said quietly, a smile on her face.

Her mom gave a small excited squeal before squeezing her daughter into a hug. "So now what?" She asked.

"I'm going over to hers on Friday for our like, first official date," Chloe said. "If that's okay with you?" She added. "We were going to go to the movies but she doesn't really like them, and I'm not the easiest person to go to dinner with so we couldn't do that either."

"What are you planning on doing at her house?"

"Just hanging out. Talking, watching TV, that kind of thing," Chloe said.

"You have to be back by 10," her mom said. "And she has to come over for dinner at some point. Maybe the week after."

"Mom-"

"If she's going to be your girlfriend, then your dad and I need to meet her Chlo'," her mom said. "Your dad and I aren't scary, she'll be fine."

"Yeah but there are so many of us," Chloe said. "She practically lives on her own, I don't want to freak her out by surrounding her with Beales."

"She's going to have to get used to being surrounded by Beales," her mom said. Chloe frowned. "At least ask her about it. If she's really going to struggle meeting everyone at once, we can sort something out. But we have to meet her. We have to make sure she's good enough for you."

Reluctantly, Chloe agreed. "Does dad... does he know?"

"Not yet," her mom said. "Do you want me to talk to him about it?" Chloe nodded.

She loved her dad a lot, but she wasn't as close with him as she was with her mom. He wasn't good at having deep conversations, and Chloe struggled to initiate them. Her mom always seemed to know what was going on.

"What about Johnny and Lucy, do you want to tell them?" She asked.

"Yeah. I can do that," she said.

"Well they're both in the living room," her mom said. "You wanna get it out of the way while I finish up dinner?"

As if on cue, Robbie and Aliza came running from the living room into the kitchen, talking non-stop.

Chloe slipped out and made her way to the living room, her stomach flipping. She sent a quick text to Beca.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual as she sat on the sofa beside Johnny. He was flicking through the channels on the TV while Lucy was texting.

"What's up?" He asked, settling on football. "How was the party?"

Lucy looked up from her phone.

"It was good," she said. "It was, uh, really good actually." She was chewing her lip, clearly nervous.

"You don't sound very certain," Johnny asked, looking away from the TV.

"No, it was really fun," she said, trying to work up the nerve to say what she wanted to say.

Johnny shrugged and focused his attention on the TV again.

"Have you been hanging out with Aubrey today then?" He asked. He could tell his sister was struggling to tell them something, so he tried to keep the conversation going so she'd be able to.

"No, I was at Beca's again. Actually... Beca and I are... Um... We're kind of going on a date on Friday. We... We like each other," she finished, her hands clenched together.

Johnny looked across and smiled at her before giving her arm a playful shove.

"So wait are you gay?" Lucy asked, probably sounding more blunt than she'd intended.

"I'm bi," Chloe said.

"Does mom know?" Lucy asked. Chloe nodded. "Does dad?"

"Not yet. Mom's going to speak to him," she said. Lucy nodded before going back to her phone. "So... So you guys are cool with this?"

"Of course we are," Johnny said. "Right Luce?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, giving Chloe a rare smile. "Doesn't make a difference to me."

Chloe smiled and texted Beca again.

* * *

When Beca's alarm went off a few hours after she'd fallen asleep again, she knew she wouldn't be able to face school. She hadn't called in sick in about two years so she figured she could afford to miss a day.

She was still tired, her head was still aching, and she knew she wouldn't be able to face Jesse. She was still furious at him.

She called up the school and told them she was sick and she wouldn't be coming in.

"Uh huh," the secretary said, "can I speak to a parent for confirmation?"

"No," Beca said. She was relieved that her voice sounded rough and that she didn't have to fake it. She tried to clear her throat. "My dad's away on business right now."

The secretary accepted this, and told Beca to call again in the morning if she still wasn't well.

She let Jasper into the back garden, drank a lot of water, took some aspirin, and made her way back to bed. She sent Chloe a text before she fell asleep again.

 **Beca: Sorry I didn't text you back last night, you were right, I fell asleep pretty much as soon as I got back home. Taking the day off school because I'm still dying. Speak to you soon :) xx**

* * *

"Hey, where's Beca?" Benji asked Jesse as they walked to their first class.

Jesse shrugged. He was still mad and embarrassed about the whole thing.

"Probably making out with Chloe or something," he said.

To his surprise, Benji smiled. "Yeah, they were pretty cute the other night, weren't they?" He said.

"Huh?"

"They so obviously like each other," he said. "It was really cute." He spotted Chloe talking with Aubrey and Stacie. "But Chloe's over there, and Beca isn't. Maybe she's sick."

Chloe met Jesse's eyes and frowned before turning away to talk to Aubrey again.

Benji had noticed, and turned to see Jesse scowling.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Nothing."

"Did something happen after Amy and I left on Saturday?"

Jesse sighed. "I, uh, I kissed Beca. And she got mad at me."

"You what?" Benji looked shocked. "Why would you do that?"

"I thought she wanted it," he said, annoyed that Benji looked surprised and a little angry. "She's always flirting with me. I thought she liked me."

"Dude, she's gay," Benji said. "She definitely doesn't like you."

"I know that, but-"

"No," Benji said. "No buts. She likes girls. Just because she was being friendly and, you know, acting like a friend, doesn't mean you can just kiss her."

"Hey, why are you on her side?" Jesse asked.

"Because she's my friend, and you fucked up," Benji said, shaking his head. They walked in silence for a few seconds. "I just don't know why you'd even consider kissing her."

"She lead me on! She-"

"Bullshit! Imagine if I suddenly kissed you, you'd freak out, right?"

Jesse laughed before he saw that Benji was being serious. "Well.. Yeah. Obviously. I don't like dudes."

"Neither does she! And you know that! I wouldn't kiss you, because I know that when you're being friendly, you're not flirting, you're just being nice. I wouldn't kiss you, because I know you don't like dudes! I also wouldn't kiss Beca for the exact same reasons!"

"Yeah but it's different-"

"It isn't different!" Benji almost yelled. He was getting frustrated now. "It's exactly the same. Do you think that because she's a girl that she must be automatically attracted to you, just because you're a guy?"

"No, but-"

"You fucked up," Benji said. "I'm not surprised she got mad. Her sexuality is an important part of her. It's something that she's proud of. And you showed her you don't respect it. She didn't go through all that shit a few years ago, getting picked on and harassed constantly, just for you to say 'okay, but you're not gay really because you must like me.'"

"Dude, why are you being like this?" Jesse said, genuinely shocked that Benji had reacted this way. He thought he'd understand.

"She's my friend, and you hurt her. Why wouldn't I be like this?" He said.

Jesse thought for a second. "Shit," he said. He felt suddenly guilty. "I didn't mean to hurt her."I just made a mistake."

"Did you apologise?"

"I mean... Sort of. I said sorry," he said. He swore again. "I've really fucked up, haven't I? I didn't mean to do all that stuff you said I did. I didn't mean to act like an entitled fuck-boy."

"Apologise to her properly," Benji said. "And show her that you understand why she was so upset." Jesse nodded. "You're my best friend, Jess. And as your best friend I feel like it's my job to tell you when you've acted like a jackass. And you've acted like a massive jackass."

"Yeah," Jesse said. "I know."

He pulled out his phone and sent Beca a text.

 **Jesse: Dude, I'm so sorry. I behaved like an piece of shit, and Benji just verbally kicked my ass for it. I didn't mean to disrespect you and your sexuality. I don't know why I reacted the way I did, I guess I was just hurt and embarrassed that you didn't like me back. And I didn't understand why you got so angry. But I do now. Benji helped me understand. I'm really really sorry. I promise, I won't ever put you in that position again. Sorry again.**

"You need to apologise in person too," Benji said, glancing at Jesse's screen as they sat down in the classroom.

"Yes sir," Jesse said, feeling like the biggest asshole in the world. He thought about the anger he'd felt when he saw Beca and Chloe together, and it made him sick. What right did he have to feel angry? He didn't like this part of himself. Not one little bit.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry** **I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry** **I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry** **I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry** **I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry** **I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm the worst person ever I'm so sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I've been really tired from work and then I got sick and I all I did was sleep and cough and work but I'm feeling a bit better now so I'm gonna try and get back on track with this fic.**

 **Please review, I know I don't deserve them, but they really help and they make me smile.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters.**

* * *

After her day off, Beca was back in school on Tuesday. She didn't want to go back, but she was looking forward to seeing Chloe again, even if it wasn't for very long.

She had text Jesse the night before, saying that she was still a little mad, but she'd forgiven him. She was apprehensive about seeing him, but she knew he was sorry.

He started a rambling apology as soon as she climbed out of her truck that morning.

"Jess, it's okay," she said, cutting him off. "I'd rather we just didn't talk about it."

"Okay," he said, surprised, "if that's what you want."

"It is," she said. She headed into school walking a few paces ahead of him. He was a little hurt when she greeted Benji warmly and started talking to him about the weekend.

"I missed you yesterday," a voice said from behind her as she dropped some books into her locker. She turned around to see Chloe standing there, smiling.

Beca smiled back.

"I missed you too," she said.

"Are you feeling better?"

Beca nodded. "I could do with another week in bed, but that's how I always feel."

The bell rang and the two girls headed off to their separate classes.

The rest of the day dragged on, but eventually the final bell rang and students started streaming out of the school.

"Any plans tonight?" Jesse asked as they headed to the parking lot. Beca had been distant with him all day and, despite what she said, he could tell she hadn't forgiven him.

"My dad gets back tonight so probably just catching up with him," she said. "You?"

"Nothing," he said. "I wondered if maybe you wanted to come over and watch a movie?"

Beca shook her head. "I'm good. Thanks."

"Becs-"

"Jesse. I've forgiven you, but I'm still pissed off, okay? Things aren't going to go back to normal straight away," she said.

"I know," he said. "Sorry. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah," Beca said as they reached her car. She leaned against the door, waiting for Chloe to arrive. Since they couldn't hang out tonight, she was going to drive Chloe home so they at least got to spend a little bit of time together.

It didn't take long for Chloe to get there, and soon they were driving away from the school.

Chloe had already picked up Beca's iPod so she could choose a song.

"So my mom has invited you to come over for dinner next week," Chloe said, putting the iPod down and looking over at Beca.

"Right," Beca said, sounding nervous. "Okay. I can do that."

"If meeting the whole family at once is going to be too much, we can sort something out," Chloe said.

"No, it's okay," Beca said. "I want to meet them all."

"Cool," Chloe said, smiling. "There are a lot of us, and we're very loud, but I know they'll love you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. "Your dad is back tonight, right?"

"I think so. Unless I get home to a message saying his trip's been extended," Beca said, a slight edge to her voice.

"Does that happen often?"

"More often than not. But if he is back tonight that means he'll probably be around on Friday, if that's okay? We can just hang out in the den but he'll probably want to meet you," Beca said.

"That's fine," Chloe said. "So you'll tell him about me?"

Beca glanced across and smiled. "Of course I will. I'm not, like, embarrassed or anything." Chloe smiled. "I really like you."

"I really like you too."

"See you tomorrow," Beca said when she pulled up outside.

"Text me, yeah?" Chloe said, giving Beca a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Will do," Beca said, feeling herself blush.

Beca had fed and walked Jasper and started cooking dinner by the time her dad had walked through the door.

She heard him take his case upstairs before he came into the kitchen.

"Ah, good to be home," he said, pouring himself a glass of wine.

"How was your trip?" Beca asked, stirring the pasta sauce.

"Same as always," he said. "Good weekend?"

She looked at him, before shaking her head slightly. "Fine," she said.

"Everything okay?"

 _No_ , she thought, _you forgot my 18th birthday._

"Yeah," she said. "Actually, there's something I wanted to run by you. Um, there's this girl at school. And I... I like her. And she likes me. So... So she's going to come over on Friday for a date. If that's cool?" She placed his dinner in front of him.

To her surprise, her dad smiled.

"A date, huh? Yeah, that's fine. I'm looking forward to meeting her," he said. He laughed and shook his head. "A date. You know, I'm not sure you're old enough to be dating," he joked.

"How old am I, dad?"

His brow furrowed for a second as he thought. "Shit," he said, softly, putting his head in his hand. "Bec, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," she said, wishing she hadn't mentioned it.

"It's not fine," he said. "I missed your birthday. Again. I'm really sorry, Beca, I'll make it up to you, I promise."

They ate in silence for a while. The only sound in the kitchen was the scraping of knives and forks on plates and the occasional noise from Jasper.

"You know, you don't have to keep making up excuses to go out of town," Beca said, still not looking up from her plate.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not an idiot, dad. I know that it isn't normal for an English professor to go on 3 conferences a month," she said. "You get upset with me when I don't tell you stuff, but you're doing the same to me."

There was a long silence. Eventually Beca stood up and started loading the plates into the dishwasher.

"Her name is Sheila," her dad said, finally breaking the silence. "I met her at a conference over the summer."

"She's the one you keep going to see?"

"Yes," he said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Beca asked.

"I don't know," he said. "I thought it would upset you. And I guess I wanted to make sure I had something real with her before I told you about it."

"Why would I be upset? Because of..." she almost said Mom, but stopped herself. "Because of... Lauren?"

"Don't call her that, Becs. She's still your Mom."

"Actually, she's not," Beca said. "She gave up that title when she left." Her dad didn't bother arguing. "And, I'm not upset because of her. You don't owe her anything, you shouldn't have to be single forever."

"I know," he said. He stood up and hugged her, and for once, she didn't shrug him off.

"So, do you think you have something real with her?" Beca asked.

"I think I do. She's nice, Becs. She's funny and smart and I like her a lot. I think you'd like her too," he said.

"Does she know about me?"

"Of course," he said. "I should have told you. And I shouldn't have forgotten your birthday. That was a shitty move."

"It's okay," Beca said, ending their hug. "I'm gonna go to bed. See you tomorrow."

She headed up to her room with a weird feeling. She'd suspected something like this for months now, and she didn't know whether being proved right made her happy or sad.

After letting Jasper in, she shut her bedroom door and dropped onto her bed.

She was happy that he was happy. But there was still a part of her that was afraid he'd move on from Beca and start a new family. She knew that wasn't likely. But he was already so forgetful. She was worried that once they inevitably lived together and she moved out, that her dad would just forget her all together.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

 **Chloe: The twins are super excited to meet you. Be prepared for an onslaught of Beale hugs. xx**

Beca smiled, and text her back.

 **Beca: You say that like it's a bad thing xx**

 **Chloe: You don't like hugs xx**

 **Beca: I like hugs from you. I assume that's because Beale's are trained in the art of hugs xx**

 **Chloe: It's true we are a gifted family. But there's no one as good as me xx**

 **Beca: I can believe it. What are you up to? xx**

Beca changed for bed and, after letting Jasper out of her room, climbed into bed. She had school work to do, but texting Chloe and falling asleep seemed much more preferable. She could catch up tomorrow.

 **Chloe: Ignoring homework. You? xx**

 **Beca: Same. Had an interesting conversation with my dad xx**

 **Chloe: Yeah? Everything okay? xx**

Beca sent a text explaining what had happened, and not long after her phone started ringing.

"Hey," Beca said.

"Hi," Chloe responded. "Are you okay?"

Beca laughed slightly. "Yeah," she said, smiling. "Yeah I'm okay. I'm just glad that I know now."

"Yeah, that's good," Chloe said. "Sorry for just randomly calling. It's hard to tell over text whether you're actually okay or you're just pretending."

"It's okay," Beca said. She lay back in bed, still holding the phone to her ear. "I'm glad you called. I like hearing your voice."

Chloe didn't respond straight away, and Beca could almost feel her blushing through the phone.

"That was super cheesy, wasn't it?" Beca said, laughing.

"No," Chloe said. "No it was nice. I like hearing your voice too. I wish I could see you right now."

"Yeah? I mean, I could always climb out of my window and drive to your house," she said, half joking.

"As awesome as that would be, I don't want to be the one responsible for you falling out of your window and breaking your neck," Chloe said.

"Please, I can climb out of a window without breaking my neck," Beca said.

Chloe laughed. "Goodnight Becs," she said.

"Night Chloe."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Here's the latest, please please please please review! I know I beg every chapter but it really does help.**

 **Hope you all enjoy!**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Beca woke up early on Friday morning full of nerves and excitement.

Tonight was her first official date with Chloe.

Even though Chloe was just coming over to her house like she'd done loads of times before, she still felt nervous. This was the first time they'd be hanging out just the two of them as something other than friends.

She showered and dressed quickly, and when she got downstairs she found her dad had made her breakfast.

"Morning," he said, sipping his coffee as he read the paper.

"Morning," she replied. "You didn't have to make me breakfast."

He shrugged. "You made dinner last night."

"True," she said, sitting down and started buttering her toast.

"So," he said, putting the paper down, "tonight."

"What about it?"

"What's the plan?"

"The plan?" She asked. "Well, Chloe's going to come over after school, and we're going to hangout in the den."

"I trust you'll want me to stay out of the way?" He asked.

Beca shrugged. "You can say hello," she said. "It's probably a good idea to meet her."

"Have you met her parents yet?"

Beca shook her head, her mouth full of coffee. She swallowed. "I haven't been to her house yet. I'm going over for dinner next Sunday."

He nodded. "I'll say hello then, and then just leave you guys to it. I'll leave you some money for pizza or something."

"Thanks," she said. She checked her phone. "I'd better go."

She ran upstairs, brushed her teeth, and then grabbed her bag and car keys.

"Bye buddy," she said, ruffling Jasper's head. "See you later," she shouted to her dad.

"Have a good day," he replied.

* * *

It felt like the day would never end.

Every time they passed each other in the corridor, Beca and Chloe would give each other a shy smile.

"Dude, you two are adorable," Benji said as they sat down at their table for lunch.

"What?" Beca asked, tearing her eyes away from Chloe who was sat at a nearby table with Aubrey and Stacie.

"You've been grinning at each other all day," he said, laughing at her. "Tonight is the official date, right?"

"Ah ha," Beca said, smiling again.

"What are we talking about?" Jesse asked, taking a seat at the table.

Beca felt herself tense and her smile dropped.

"Beca's first official date with Chloe tonight," Benji said. He knew there was still some tension between his two friends, but he hoped that they would resolve it soon. He was tired of feeling like he was walking on egg shells.

"Oh," Jesse said, trying not to show the sudden feeling of deflation he'd got. "What do you have planned?"

"We're just going to hang out at my place," she said.

He smiled and shook his head. "You need up your game, Mitchell," he said. "What happened to fancy restaurants and movies and late night strolls holding hands."

"Well, number one, I don't like movies. Number two, I can't afford fancy restaurants. Number three, she doesn't even really like going out to eat. Number four, girls can't take late night strolls," she said.

"Why not?" He asked, confused.

"Because there are these people called men, and they make it difficult for girls to walk around at night," she said.

He opened his mouth to say 'not all men' but thought better of it and closed it.

"Fair enough," he said.

Beca was almost relieved when the bell rang indicating the end of lunch.

She started getting butterflies during the last ten minutes of their final lesson. Chloe was sitting just a few desks away, and every so often she kept glancing over. The redhead looked as nervous as she felt.

"Beca, can I have a word?" Ms. Abernathy-Mckadden said as the bell signifying the end of school rang.

Beca, who had already stood up and grabbed her bag, glanced at Chloe.

"I'll meet you at your car," Chloe said.

Beca nodded and walked over to Abernathy-Mckadden's desk.

"What's up?" She asked.

"You seemed distracted today, is everything okay?" The teacher asked.

"Yeah," Beca said. "I just have a thing tonight."

"I just wanted to check things were okay with you," she said.

"Why wouldn't they be?" Beca asked, eager to get this conversation over so she could leave.

"Your grades have slipped on these last couple of papers I've asked you all to write," she said. "I've had a word with some of the other teachers and they've all seen similar drops in your work."

"Right," Beca said. "Um, sorry about that. I guess I haven't been studying as much as I should have."

"It's not a big deal right now," she said. "But you know you'll be taking your mid-terms in a few weeks and I'd hate to see this dip affect your college chances."

"Yeah, uh, thanks. I'll keep on top of it," she said. "Can I... ?" She gestured towards the door.

"Yes," she said. "Have a good weekend, Beca."

"You too," Beca said, as she hurried out of the class.

She was feeling angry at herself as she left the school and headed for the parking lot. If her dad found out her grades were slipping he'd go mad. It was the one thing he was strict about. It wasn't that she was particularly bothered since she wasn't planning on going to college anyway, but it was the easiest way to keep him happy and out of her hair.

The feeling of anger melted away as she saw Chloe waiting by her truck.

Chloe looked up from her phone and smiled as Beca walked towards her.

"What was that about?" She asked.

Beca shook her head. "She said I seemed distracted today. She wanted to make sure I was okay, I guess." She'd decided she wasn't going to tell Chloe the full story. She didn't want her to feel like she was being a distraction. "So, do you need to pick up anything from your house?"

"Nope, I am all ready for our date," she said.

"Cool," Beca replied, driving them out of the parking lot and away from school.

Chloe looked nervous when Beca finally pulled into her drive.

"Okay?" Beca asked.

Chloe nodded and smiled. "Just nervous. This is the first time I've done anything like this, so... Yeah."

"This is your first first date?" Beca asked. Chloe nodded. "Me too. I guess we'll figure it out together?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. She went to open the car door door.

"Wait," Beca said, quickly scrambling out of the car and rushing around to her side. She opened the door and held out her hand to Chloe. "M'lady," she said.

Chloe laughed. "You're a dork," she said, taking Beca's hand.

"A very chivalrous dork," Beca said. "Ready to meet my dad?"

"Ah ha," Chloe said, still holding Beca's hand. Beca squeezed it before she let them into the house.

At the sound of the door, Jasper came running into the hallway. Her dad came out of the kitchen a few seconds after.

"Dad," Beca said, "this is Chloe. Chloe, this is my dad."

"Nice to meet you, Chloe," he said.

"You too," Chloe said.

The was a few more minutes of awkward small talk before Beca suggested they take Jasper for a walk before it got too dark.

"I can do that," her dad said. "You girls go and do whatever it is you kids do. Play on your Pokemon Go's or whatever." He winked at Beca and she rolled her eyes but smiled.

"See you dad," she said. She put her hand on Chloe's back and they went into the den. "So," she said, "I can order in some food for dinner if you like, or I can make us something. I mean, I don't want to brag, but I make a pretty mean grilled cheese."

Chloe laughed. "Wow, grilled cheese? Who needs fancy restaurants when they've got you."

"What can I say? I'm practically Gordon Ramsey," she said. "I just need the accent and a fouler mouth."

"Grilled cheese sounds great," Chloe said. "But just a small one."

Beca looked like she wanted to say something, but just smiled instead. "You wanna come keep me company?"

Chloe nodded and they went into the kitchen.

After they finished their food and watched a few episodes of Parks and Rec, they were both feeling more relaxed.

"Okay," Beca said, pausing the TV, "what do you wanna do now? We can watch a movie or something if you want?"

"Can we listen to some of your music?" Chloe asked.

"Sure," Beca said. "I haven't made any new stuff for a bit, but there's probably stuff on there you haven't heard."

Beca dashed upstairs for her laptop and bumped into her dad on the way back down.

"How's it going?" He asked.

"Good," Beca said. "Great."

He gave her a thumbs up and headed for his room.

Beca rejoined Chloe in the den and told Chloe to make a play list.

The songs she picked were quite mellow, and the pair ended up lounging on the sofa together, the music playing quietly. At some point, Beca had dimmed the lights so it wasn't so bright.

"What's one thing you've wanted to do that you've not had the chance to do yet?" Beca asked after a few songs.

Chloe thought for a bit. "I've always wanted to see the stars."

"I'm not sure if anyone's told you yet, but you know you literally just have to look up, right?" Beca asked.

Chloe laughed and hit her in the arm. "Shut up," she said. "I mean, like, properly see them. Not here with all this light pollution. But out in the country somewhere."

Beca smiled and tucked a strand of Chloe's hair behind her ear. "That actually sounds pretty good."

"How about you?" Chloe asked.

"I dunno," Beca said. "I guess I've always wanted to deejay. Like, play my music for people. Watch them dance in a club or something to a mix I've mad. That'd be pretty cool."

"Well you're definitely good enough," Chloe said.

"Thanks."

Then they were quiet. Just enjoying being together.

When the music stopped, Chloe sat up and picked some more to play.

"You're really pretty," Beca said. "You know that, right?"

Chloe turned to look at her.

"You're not half bad yourself."

Beca sat up so that they were eye level with each other. She tucked another strand of Chloe's hair behind her ear.

"I really like you," Beca said, quietly.

Chloe swallowed. "I really like you too," she whispered.

Beca glanced down to see Chloe's hands clenched together in her lap.

"Did you know that you clench your hands together when something's stressing you out?" Beca said, taking her hands and softly rubbing them so they relaxed.

"I guess I do," Chloe said, laughing nervously.

Beca leaned across and kissed her forehead. "We don't have to do anything," she said, softly. "I don't want to do anything that's going to make you stressed."

"Sorry," Chloe said, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "It's just that, it felt like we were going to kiss, and I've never... I've not done that before."

"It's okay, don't apologise," Beca said. "I've only done it once. Well, twice if you include Jesse, which I don't."

"It's not that I don't want to," Chloe said.

"It's okay," Beca said again. "You don't have to explain."

Chloe smiled and shook her head. Tears had started filling her eyes.

"This is embarrassing," she said, wiping them.

"Come here," Beca said, gently pulling her so they were lying on the sofa together again, liked they'd done many times before. "Okay?" She asked after a few seconds.

"More than okay," Chloe said.

"Is there anything you need?"

"No," Chloe said. "This is perfect. You're perfect."

Beca smiled and closed her eyes. She knew that soon they'd have to get up and she'd have to drive Chloe home. She knew that she'd have to spend the rest of the night on her own, probably studying so she could try and catch up. She knew that this beautiful moment was only temporary. But Chloe was right, it was perfect.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Once again I'm going to beg for reviews! Pretty please help a friend out!**

 **I apologise if this is crap, I haven't had time to proof-read because I'm super tired and I need to sleep before work, but I hope you like it anyway :)**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Beca spent the following week with a smile permanently etched on her face. In her mind, her date with Chloe couldn't have gone better. When she told Benji about it in school on Monday, Jesse had overheard.

"So did you get a goodnight kiss?" He asked.

"She wasn't ready, so I didn't push her," Beca said. He shut up after that.

Chloe had been beaming all week too, which wasn't that uncommon for Chloe. When she told Stacie and Aubrey about it, they both agreed that the night sounded perfect.

"I'm really happy for you," Aubrey had said.

"So are you guys, like, girlfriend and girlfriend now?" Stacie asked.

"We haven't talked about it yet," Chloe said. "I think it's probably too soon to say."

They hadn't spent much time together during the week because they were trying to catch up on work, but Beca was still planning on going over to hers for dinner on Sunday. She was nervous to meet her parents but excited to spend the day with Chloe and see her home.

However, on Sunday afternoon she got a phone call from Chloe.

"Hey," she said when Beca answered. Her voice was rough and croaky, and Beca could barley hear her.

"Are you okay?" Beca asked.

"I'm sick," was Chloe's response.

"Do you wanna cancel dinner?"

"If that's okay? I'm sorry, I don't think I'd be very good company," Chloe replied.

"Of course it's okay," Beca said. She thought for a second. "Wait, can I come over anyway? If that's okay, I mean."

"Why?"

"Because I thought I could come look after you," Beca said, feeling herself blush. "Sorry. That sounded lame. I just thought you could use some company."

"You really want to come hangout with me when I'm sick?" Chloe asked. Beca swore she could hear Chloe smiling.

"Yeah. I do. But if you don't want me to just say, I promise I won't get offended," Beca said. "I know sometimes you just wanna be alone when you're sick."

"No, I'd like to see you," Chloe said. "I'll just tell my Mom."

"Cool. I'll be over in like an hour."

"Awesome," Chloe said. "I'll see you soon."

Chloe hung up and went into the kitchen to see her Mom.

"How are you feeling sweetie?"

"Crappy," Chloe said. Her throat was in agony and her head was pounding. "But, um, Beca is still gonna come over." Her Mom raised her eyebrows. "She said she wants to come take care of me." She couldn't finish the sentence without grinning.

"And do you want her to come over?" Chloe nodded. "Well, I'm very excited to meet her. Why don't you go and sit down and I'll bring you some tea."

An hour later, Beca was standing outside Chloe's door, psyching herself up. She took a deep breath and knocked. A few seconds later and the door opened to reveal two six year olds standing there.

"Hi," Beca said, slightly caught off guard. They stared at her. "I'm Beca. I'm Chloe's friend." They kept staring. "You must be Aliza and Robbie, right?" They nodded.

"Do you like dinosaurs?" Robbie asked.

"I do," Beca said, wondering if she should text Chloe or if she should just wait for an adult to appear.

"What's your favourite?"

"Um, I like the T-Rex. What's yours?"

"I like the T-Rex too!" He said, excitedly. At that moment, Chloe's mom appeared.

"Hello," she said, "you must be Beca."

"Yeah," Beca said, "nice to meet you."

"Come in, come in," she said. "So, you're the famous Beca." She glanced at the nervous brunette who had followed her into her kitchen. "Don't look so afraid, I don't bite."

Beca laughed, slightly nervously. "Sorry. I'm always afraid I make a bad first impression."

"Well coming over to spend time with my daughter when she's sick is definitely a step in the right direction," she said, winking. "She's just in the living room."

Beca left the kitchen and went into the living room. Chloe was lying on one of the sofas, watching some kind of cooking show.

"Dude, I love this show," Beca said.

Chloe looked up and grinned. "Hi," she said, her voice still rough. She sat up and patted the space beside her. Beca took off her jacket before sitting beside her. "Thank you for coming over."

"It sounds like it hurts you to talk," Beca said.

"It does," she said.

"Then you don't have to do it," Beca said. "You can just text me."

Chloe laughed. "I'm not gonna text you, weirdo. You're sitting next to me."

"Would it be easier if I sat over there?" Beca asked. "Or I could just put my headphones in so I can't hear you."

"Shut up," Chloe said, still laughing. She changed her position so her head was on Beca's chest. Beca instinctively put her arm around her. "Did you meet my mom?"

"I did," Beca said. "She's friendly."

"Did she hug you?"

"Not yet, but the day is young. Things might get crazy," Beca said. Chloe laughed until she started coughing.

"Sorry," Chloe said when she stopped.

"Gross. I'm full of your germs now," Beca said, giving her a squeeze to show she was joking.

"What if I do get you sick?"

"You can come and take care of me then," Beca said.

They watched TV together for about half an hour before Chloe's mom came in.

"Beca," she said, "would you like chicken or tomato soup?"

Beca's instinct was to say that she was okay. That she didn't want any. She always had a weird feeling of guilt whenever she ate or drank at someone else's house for the first time. She knew that was stupid, but she couldn't help it. She sensed however that this wasn't the kind of house where you just refused food.

"Tomato please," Beca said.

"Chloe?" Her mom said.

"I'm not hungry," Chloe replied.

"You missed breakfast," her mom said. "So what soup do you want?" She was perfectly calm and friendly, but her voice left no room for argument. Beca couldn't help but wonder how many times they'd had conversations like this.

"I'll have tomato too," Chloe said.

They finished their soup, Beca tried to pace herself so she didn't finish too far ahead of Chloe, and the redhead suggested they go upstairs. She wanted to lie down and Robbie and Aliza had burst in, talking loudly.

"Keep the door open a smidge," her mom called as they headed up.

Beca looked around Chloe's room as Chloe climbed onto her bed and got comfortable.

Her room was filled with books and DVDs. On her desk were textbooks and random school notes spread everywhere. Above her desk was a wall of photographs. Most of them were of her and her family, but there was a lot of her and Aubrey too. Beca smiled as she looked at them. Chloe was grinning in every one of them. And it didn't look like a forced camera smile. They all looked genuine.

"Thank you for coming over," Chloe said when Beca sat on the bed beside her.

"Thank you for letting me come over," Beca replied. Beca rested her back against the wall and Chloe lay down, resting her legs across Beca's.

They stayed there for a while. Chloe had put on some music and had quickly fallen asleep. Beca had grabbed a book out of her bag and was absentmindedly running her hand up and down Chloe's leg while she read it.

Chloe's mom had peaked in and her heart melted at the sight. Beca seemed perfectly content just being with Chloe. She left them to it.

Eventually, Beca carefully extracted herself. She wrote a quick note to Chloe saying she had left and to text her when she woke up. She kissed her on the forehead before adjusting her blankets so she was properly covered.

"I'm gonna head off now," Beca said to Chloe's mom in the kitchen. "My dog will be missing me."

"Have you got time for a quick cup of tea?" Chloe's mom asked.

Again, Beca's instinct was to politely decline. But Chloe's mom was like Chloe in that she felt like maybe sitting and talking to her wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"Sure," she said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Is Chloe still asleep?" Mrs Beale asked as she made the tea.

"Yeah," Beca said. "I hope it's okay that I came over when she was sick. I just thought she might want some company."

"Of course it's okay," Mrs Beale said. "You're welcome over here anytime."

"Thanks," Beca said, relieved she seemed to have made a good impression.

"Chloe told me all about your date," she said. "And I wanted to thank you for not pushing her before she was ready."

"Oh," Beca said, "that's okay. I mean, I feel like you shouldn't have to thank me for that. That's just me being a decent person."

Mrs Beale smiled at her. "I agree. But I appreciate it anyway. I think you and Chloe are a good match."

Beca smiled. "Yeah. I think so too. Actually, I have an idea for our next date, but I wanted to check it was okay with you first."

"I'm listening."

* * *

The Saturday after, Beca called Chloe.

"What's up?" Chloe asked.

"What are you doing right now?" Beca asked.

"Um, nothing. Why?"

"Do you wanna hang out?" Beca asked, praying she would say yes.

"It's like 8pm," Chloe said.

"But do you want to?"

"Of course I do. I'd have to ask my mom though since my curfew is in like two hours," Chloe said.

"Your mom already knows," Beca said, grabbing her car keys. "I'm on my way over, wear something warm. Like, really warm."

"Beca, what's going on?"

"Surprise second date," Beca said. "If you don't want to, just tell me. I realise I've just sprung this on you."

"I want to," Chloe said after a few seconds.

When Chloe hung up she saw her mom hovering by her door. "You knew about this?"

She nodded. "She asked me last week and I thought it was cute. You have my permission, for one night only, to stay out past curfew."

"Am I gonna like it?"

"You're going to love it," she said. "Now put on at least five more sweaters."

Once Chloe was dressed, she got a text from Beca.

 **Beca: I'm outside xx**

She felt a nervous flutter in her stomach.

"Be safe," her mom said before kissing her on the cheek and ushering her towards the door.

Chloe left the house to find Beca waiting outside her pickup, shivering slightly. Chloe noticed that the back of the pickup had a cover over it.

"Move your butt Beale, it's freezing out here," Beca said.

"Why didn't you just wait in the car?" Chloe asked as Beca opened the passenger door for her.

"Because this is more gentlemanly," she said, shutting the door and hurrying over to the other side.

"So, where are we going?" Chloe asked when they started driving.

"You'll see," Beca said, smiling.

Chloe put on some music and they talked about nothing while they drove further and further away from town. Soon they were well into the country.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Chloe asked.

"Soon, I promise," Beca said.

Not long after, they pulled into what looked like a parking lot of a camp ground. It was hard to tell because it was so dark. There was a lake nearby and Chloe could see some campfires in the distance.

"Are you going to murder me?" Chloe asked.

"It would be pretty dumb if I asked for your mom's permission before I murdered you, don't you think?" Beca said. "Okay, close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Please? Trust me?" Beca asked. She could tell Chloe was a little nervous, and she wanted to put her at ease.

"Okay," Chloe said, closing her eye.

Beca got out of the car and went around to Chloe's side. She opened the passenger door and helped Chloe out.

"Keep them closed," she said. She shut the door and locked the car. She tilted Chloe's head up. "Okay. Open them."

Chloe opened her eyes and was faced with an endless sky of stars.

"Holy shit," she whispered.

She had never seen anything like it. She had seen photographs of skies like this, but none of them compared to seeing it for real. She felt like she could see the entire universe. She never wanted to look away.

She heard something behind her, and tore her eyes away to see Beca had removed the cover from the back of her pickup. Inside were blankets and pillows and duvets and cushions.

"Just so we can stay warm," Beca said.

She lowered the tailgate and climbed up before helping Chloe up. The pair got comfortable in the sea of blankets. Beca had also put in a few hot water bottles and had a thermos full of hot chocolate.

"This is amazing," Chloe said, staring up at the sky. "Thank you."

They were lying side by side, and she felt Beca take her hand.

"I wanted you to see the stars," she said.

They were quiet for a while as Chloe looked up. Beca kept looking at Chloe, smiling at the amazement on her face.

"How did you know about this place?" Chloe asked.

"Before my mom left, we all used to come here every summer. My dad gave me directions on how to find it again," she said.

Chloe squeezed her hand.

"You don't talk about your mom very much," Chloe said.

"No," Beca replied, "I guess I don't. I don't... I don't like talking about her. I don't even like calling her mom."

"We don't have to talk about her," Chloe said.

"Another time, maybe," Beca said. "Right now, I just want to enjoy this moment."

"Okay," Chloe said. She moved closer to her.

After another small silence, Beca started to speak again.

"I was wondering if, maybe, you might... um... sorry... I'm not good at this," she said. She was glad it was too dark for Chloe to see her blushing. "Would you, um, like to be my girlfriend?"

Chloe chuckled at Beca's inarticulateness before she replied. "I would really really like that."

She turned so she was facing Beca.

Beca turned so she was facing her.

"Yeah?" Beca asked.

"Yeah."

Chloe leaned in and kissed Beca on the cheek.

She giggled.

"What?" Beca asked.

"I was aiming for your mouth," Chloe said, still laughing. "It's too dark."

"Oh," Beca replied. "Are you sure you're, you know, ready?"

"Yes," Chloe said. "I want to kiss my girlfriend under the stars. Is that cool?"

"That's cool," Beca said, reaching out so she cupped Chloe's face. "That's very very cool."

Beca leaned in.

Chloe leaned in.

Then, they kissed.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I'm so so so so so sorry it has been so long since I last updated! I had a really shitty mental health week and then I visited a friend and couldn't write and then the weekend after I was too busy playing video games! I hope this chapter makes up for the big gap. Please review if you can it would make my tiny heart happy.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Lauren Mitchell went into labour dressed as Princess Leia. She was on her way to a Halloween party with her new husband John Mitchell when her water broke. In a blind panic, John drove them to the hospital. He was dressed as Han Solo.

She gave birth to the tiny Beca Mitchell at 11:00pm on October 31st. Her hair was still in Princess Leia buns.

Until she was four years old, Beca's parents dressed as these two characters on Halloween. They would watch Empire Strikes Back, because it was John's favourite, and eat birthday cake.

On her fifth birthday, her parents just wore their normal clothes. They still had cake, but they didn't watch Star Wars. Beca thought that the birthday felt different, but she couldn't figure out why. She was still too young.

Her sixth birthday was the last one they'd spend as a family. No costumes, no Star Wars. As she blew out the candles, Beca remembered wishing that her parents would stop fighting so much.

She'd snuck out of bed that night and saw her dad sleeping on the sofa.

She kept hearing the word divorce, but didn't know what it meant.

Their lawyer came over a lot, and he always ruffled Beca's hair and gave her a sad smile when she left.

She spent a lot of time at her Grandmother's.

Then, late in the night on November 30th, 6 year old Beca woke up to a shouting match between her parents.

"Goddammit, you can't just fucking leave!" Her dad yelled. Beca hovered on the stairs, afraid to go down.

"Actually, I can," her Mom replied. "The divorce is final now. It's all done. I can do whatever I want."

"And what about your kid?"

"My kid? I think you'll find she's your kid too," her mom spat back. Beca felt her face turn red. They were fighting about her. It made her stomach hurt.

"And you don't think you should stick around for her?" Her dad said.

She heard her mom sigh. "I can't. I can't... be here anymore. I'm not the mom type, I've never been the mom type."

Beca was confused. How could she not be a mom type? She was her mom, wasn't she? Sure, she didn't look like the other moms in the playground. She didn't wear sensible shoes, or boring skirts, and her hair changed colour every few weeks. But she was still her mom.

"Well too bad," her dad said. His voice sounded weird. Like he was trying not to cry. "It doesn't matter if you're not the mom type, you are a mom. I know this wasn't how you planned your life, but we have a daughter and she needs you. You can't just run off to Europe!"

Beca felt sick again. Europe? She plucked up her courage and went down the stairs, into the kitchen where her parents were arguing.

She saw her mom's suitcase. Her dad was still in his pyjamas and his hair was sticking up at the back.

"Mommy?" She said, tentatively.

Her dad put his head in his hands.

"Go back to bed, Becs," her mom said, trying not to look at her.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere," she said. "Just... Away for a bit."

"Is it because of me?" Beca asked, her lip trembling.

"No," her mom sighed, crouching down to her level. "I just have to go away."

"But why?" Beca asked, tears spilling quickly down her cheeks. "I'll be good, I promise. I won't be loud anymore. And," she sucked in a breath, struggling to get her words out without crying. "And I won't bug you when you're reading or painting."

"This isn't anything to do with you," her mom said, tears in her own eyes now. "I won't be gone for long, I promise." She kissed her on the forehead. Then she stood up and put a hand on her suitcase.

"I can't miss my flight," she said, her voice quiet. "Be good, Beca."

Beca didn't understand. How could this be happening?

"Lauren," her dad said, standing up from the kitchen table. "Please don't do this."

"I have to," she said.

She turned and walked out. She walked down the hallway, dragging her suitcase behind her. When Beca heard the front door open, she ran out of the kitchen.

She clung to her mom's leg, sobbing and begging.

"Beca let go," her mom said, her voice breaking.

"No!"

"Beca," her mom tried to pry her hands off, "let go."

"NO!"

A strong pair of hands pulled her arms from around her mom's leg then held her tightly around the waist.

She kicked and thrashed and screamed but her dad just held her tightly, watching as his ex-wife got into her car and drove away.

* * *

It was 12 years to the day that her mom left, and Beca really wasn't looking forward to going into school.

It had been just over a week since her date under the stars with Chloe, but they hadn't spent a lot of time together since. They were both cramming hard for their midterms, so they spent a lot of time in their rooms studying. They messaged each other a lot, but apart from sitting together at lunch at school, they hadn't really seen each other. Chloe had thought Beca had seemed quieter than usual, but she put it down to school stress.

Beca had not been having a good week. The closer it got to the anniversary of her mom leaving, the more she'd withdrawn into herself. Anytime that wasn't spent studying was spent reliving that night in her head. Her dad had tried to talk to her but she always just said she was fine and he never pushed her to say more.

The one good thing that had happened was that she'd gotten a message from Chloe on the night before the anniversary.

 **Chloe: Hey, so I was wondering if you maybe wanted to be, like, facebook official? I know it's lame but I don't want to feel like we're hiding our relationship. Obviously if you're not comfortable with it we don't have to. xxx**

Beca smiled as she text back.

 **Beca: I'd love to :) Just so you know though, this means that kids at school are gonna find out. They were pretty shitty to me when I came out, and they might be the same with you. xxx**

 **Chloe: That's okay, I don't really care what the kids at school think. I want to boast about having a hot girlfriend xxx**

 **Beca: A hot girlfriend, huh? Are you dating someone else and not telling me? xxx**

 **Chloe: Well, duh ;) xxx**

Beca couldn't stop the grin she felt when Chloe changed her relationship status on facebook, and the notification popped up prompting her to do the same.

When she pulled into the parking lot the next morning, she saw Benji and Jesse talking to Chloe, Aubrey and Stacie nearby. The two groups had started hanging out together since Beca and Chloe started dating, and Beca suspected that Jesse secretly had a crush on Aubrey.

"Hey," Chloe said, when Beca joined the group. She gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before linking their hands together. "Is this okay?" She asked quietly.

Beca nodded but couldn't stop nervously glancing towards the crowds of students, waiting for one of them to say something.

But none of them did, and she got through the school day without an incident.

Well... Almost.

She had been told off by several teachers for not paying attention, and by the end of the day she was in a pretty bad mood. She'd been thinking about her mom all day and hadn't been able to focus on anything. Chloe had provided a welcome distraction in the morning and at lunch, but during classes Beca was alone with her thoughts.

She'd had to stop off by her locker to get something at the end of the day so she told Chloe she'd meet her outside. She was going to drive her home so they could have a little bit of time together.

At her locker, she overheard a conversation between Hagan and some of his friends.

"Dude, have you heard that Chloe Beale is a lesbian now?" One of his friends said.

"What? No way."

"Yeah, she's dating Beca Mitchell, I saw them holding hands at lunch."

"How did Beca Mitchell get the hottest girl in school?"

"She's not that hot."

"Are you kidding me? Since she like, quit eating or whatever, her body is amazing."

Beca felt herself burning with anger.

"I heard she's bisexual, not a lesbian," one of them said.

"What's the difference?"

"It means she bangs dudes too."

"So she doesn't eat food, but she eats dicks and pussy," Hagan said, laughing. "What a slu-" He was cut off by Beca tackling him. Caught off guard, Hagan stumbled and fell to the ground, Beca on top of him, throwing punches. She punched the floor first and then her fist connected with his jaw once before she was pulled off by his friends.

"You fucking piece of shit," Beca yelled, struggling to break free from the grip of Hagan's friends. "Don't you dare talk about Chloe like that."

Hagan laughed. "Damn, Mitchell, that was quite a punch. If you weren't three feet tall, that might have hurt."

"What shall we do to her, Hagan?" One of his friends asked.

* * *

Chloe checked her watch and frowned. How long does it take someone to grab a book from their locker?

She left Beca's truck and headed back in the school to look for her.

It took her two minutes to reach Beca's locker and when she saw what was going on she almost screamed.

"We don't do anything," Hagan said. "You're lucky I don't hit girls, Mitchell."

"I'll hit a girl," one of his friends said. "She's not even really a girl anyway."

"Shut up," Hagan said. "Let her go."

"Fine," his friend said. "But just in case she thinks about fucking with us again." He slammed his fist into Beca's stomach and she groaned and doubled-over.

"No!" Chloe shouted, rushing towards her.

Beca was on her knees grimacing while Hagan was pushing his friend into a locker.

"Don't do that again, you fucking moron!" He said, dragging his friend by the jacket and pulling him towards the door.

"Beca?"

"I'm okay," Beca muttered as Chloe helped her to her feet.

"Come on, let's get you home," Chloe said. "I can't believe he did that, what happened?"

"They... They were saying stuff. About you," Beca said, as they left the school and walked across the parking lot.

"What?"

"They were making jokes about you... not eating." Beca winced as she climbed into the truck, pain radiating across her stomach.

"And then they grabbed you?" Chloe asked, getting into the passenger side.

"No," Beca said. She started the truck and drove away from the school. She was still furious and her hands shook on the steering wheel. "I wasn't going to let him talk about you like that."

"So, what, you hit him?"

Beca didn't answer, she just clenched her fists around the wheel. Pain flared up in her left fist, which was red from where she'd punched the floor, but she didn't care. It helped her focus.

She couldn't stop thinking about after her mom had left and the kids on the playground had teased her. One day, a boy in the grade above her wouldn't shut up. He kept saying that her mom didn't love her and that she was an accident and she finally snapped. She'd tackled him to the ground and started hitting him. He hit her back, and soon they were being prized apart by teachers. Beca had a bloody nose and he had a split lip. She was given detention and her dad had yelled at her for almost an hour, but she didn't feel bad about it. She felt good. And scrapping with the kids who called her name soon became common place. It was a good outlet, and the other kids began to see it almost like a game. She never threw kicks or punches anymore, it was all just play fighting, but it helped her get her anger out. It wasn't until her dad had yelled that her mom wasn't likely to want to come back to a daughter who fought all the time that she stopped doing it all together. It was then that she started withdrawing from herself, and refusing to speak.

"Beca?"

"Yeah," Beca said, snapping out of her thoughts, "I hit him."

"Stop the car," Chloe said.

"What?"

"Stop the car, Beca. Please."

Beca pulled over when she could, and turned the engine off.

"What is it?" Beca asked.

"Please... Please don't do that again," Chloe said.

"Do what?"

"Fight. Beca... They could have really hurt you. What if Hagan had of decided that he didn't mind hitting women? He could have beaten the crap out of you," Chloe said.

"But I can't just let him say stuff like that about you," Beca said.

"Yes you can," Chloe said. "I don't care what they say, Becs, I've heard it all before. But I don't want you getting hurt because of it. They're just words. They might be cruel and hurtful, but they're still just words."

"But-"

"But nothing. Promise me you won't do this again, Beca. I care so much about you, I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt," Chloe said, reaching across to take Beca's hand.

Beca nodded, finally feeling the anger draining out of her. "I'm sorry," she said.

Chloe kissed her slightly bruised knuckles. "It's okay," she said.

"Today is kind of a shitty day," Beca said. "November 30th, I mean. I was already in a bad mood and then hearing them say that stuff, it just made me so mad. When I was a kid I used to fight a lot, and I guess that urge has never really gone away."

"Why is today shitty?"

"Um, my mom left 12 years ago today," Beca said.

Chloe closed her eyes. "Shit," she said. "I'm sorry Beca, I didn't know."

"That's okay," Beca said, brushing a strand of hair out of Chloe's face. "No one does."

"Can I come over?" Chloe asked.

"Sure," Beca said. "We can take a night off from studying."

Chloe pulled out her phone to text her mom and Beca started up the car again.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Beca said.

"Just don't scare me again," Chloe said, finally smiling.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: So this chapter ended up being longer than I intended but hopefully that will make up for it being a week late? Also I haven't properly proof-read it because I'm crazy tired so please forgive me for any errors!**

 **Please please please review!**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

When they arrived at Beca's house there was a note in the kitchen from her dad.

 _'Out with Jasper, can you make dinner? - Dad'_

"You're staying for dinner right?" Beca asked as she started pulling things out of the fridge and cupboards.

"Oh, it's okay. I think my Mom has already made me some, so I can just get it when I go home," Chloe said, trying not to meet Beca's eyes. She didn't think she could handle a full meal with both Beca and her dad, especially when they were both feeling so tense.

Beca hesitated, chewing her lip. She didn't believe Chloe would eat when she got home, but didn't want to accuse her of lying.

"Are you sure?" Beca asked, as she started frying the ground beef for the lasagna.

"Yeah," Chloe said, feeling guilty. "Sorry, I just feel like I would take a while to finish tonight. It might get awkward with your dad and everything."

"We can just eat in the den," Beca said. "You can take as long as you need, we can just watch TV or something." Chloe still looked unsure. "I don't want to, like, pressure you or anything, but I also don't want you to skip a meal."

Chloe opened her mouth to say that she wasn't trying to skip a meal but she knew that wasn't true. She knew if Beca let her off here then she would end up telling her Mom that she'd already eaten. So she closed her mouth and nodded.

"Okay," Chloe said. "Thank you."

"You'll have some?" Beca asked, looking relieved.

Chloe nodded, and smiled at the look on Beca's face.

"Don't judge me for using ready-made white sauce," Beca said as she began layering the lasagna.

"I won't," Chloe laughed.

Beca topped off the lasagna with cheese and put it in the oven. She set a timer and the two went into the den.

Beca grimaced slightly as she sat down on the sofa. Her stomach was still aching.

Chloe frowned and carefully lifted Beca's shirt. Her pale skin had already started to bruise. Chloe blinked back tears as she slid the top back down.

"Hey," Beca said softly, "I'm okay."

"But what if you weren't? What if they'd really hurt you?" Chloe asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I didn't really think that far ahead," Beca said. "Just... Hearing them say stuff like that about you made me so mad."

"You're dating someone who's in recovery from an eating disorder, Becs. And while we're still in high school, dick-bags are gonna make jokes about it. You can't go throwing punches every time," Chloe said.

Beca looked at her. It was the first time she'd ever heard Chloe say outright that she'd had an eating disorder. She'd never really talked about it in detail before, and Beca hadn't pushed her too, figuring it would make her uncomfortable. She suddenly felt guilty that she didn't know about it properly. That Hagan and his moronic friends knew more about this portion of her girlfriend's life than she did.

"Becs?"

"Hmm?"

"Your timer is going off," Chloe said.

Beca picked up her phone before silencing the beeping. "I'll be two seconds," she said. Before she headed into the kitchen, she kissed Chloe on the top of the head.

Beca's dad returned home as Beca was dishing up the food.

"You got company?" He asked, nodding at the third plate.

"Chloe came over," Beca said, crouching down so she could scratch Jasper's head.

"Shouldn't you both be studying?" He asked. He immediately regretted it when he saw the look on Beca's face. "Sorry. That came out wrong."

"She wanted to keep me company today," Beca said, hoping her dad would get it without her having to explain.

Luckily, he did. "Ah. Of course," he said. He looked down at the food again. "Well this looks great," he said.

"Chloe and I are just going to eat in the den if that's okay?" Again, she hoped she wouldn't have to explain.

"Sure," he said. "I'll catch up with you later?"

"Yeah," she said. He gave her an awkward side hug before taking his plate to his own living room.

"I didn't know how much to give you," Beca said. "So don't feel like you have to eat it all if it's too much."

Chloe smiled at her as she took the plate. "It looks delicious," she said. The portion was larger than she'd have liked, but she was determined to eat as much as she could. "Thank you."

Beca smiled and sat beside her. Jasper tried to jump on her lap and ended up just kicking her in the stomach. She groaned and nudged him off. "Come on, dude," she said. "You know not to jump up when I'm eating." She turned to Chloe. "Sorry about that."

Chloe shook her head to let her know it was fine. Beca switched on 30 Rock and they ate in silence for a while.

"Bec?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah?" Beca replied, glancing over, relieved to see that Chloe had at least eaten something.

"Could you tell me about your Mom? About her leaving?" Chloe asked. She saw Beca tense. "I know you don't like talking about it, but I feel bad that you've had such a crappy week and I've had no idea."

"Um, yeah, okay," Beca said. "But when we're done, could you maybe tell me more about your eating disorder? If you don't want to, I totally understand, but I'd like to understand it better. And I feel bad that I've never really asked about it before."

Chloe looked down at her still full plate and felt her stomach twist. She didn't really want to talk about it. But she knew Beca would find it just as hard talking about her Mom as she would talking about this. So she nodded.

"I can do that," she said.

Beca nodded again, like she was psyching herself up. She finished the last of her lasagna, put the plate on the coffee table, and turned the volume down on the TV.

"My Mom wasn't really the Mom type," she said. "I wasn't planned. At least, I don't think I was planned. After they got married they were supposed to go travelling. It was my Mom's idea mainly." She ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry. I always feel weird calling her Mom. It doesn't really feel like she's earned the title." Chloe reached across and squeezed her hand. "Before they could set off on their Europe trip, they found out she was pregnant. Dad always wanted a big family. He bought this house so he could have a big family. My Grandma used to say it was because he was an only child. She said he was excited to start his family. She never liked to talk bad about my Mom." Beca laughed, almost sadly. "Even after everything. After she left her son and granddaughter. She always insisted that my Mom did her best, but that children just weren't for her. Not everyone has it in them to be a parent, she always said. Anyway, on November 30th, a month after I turned six, she left." Beca paused to clear her throat before she told the story of how her Mom left.

She spoke about the last time she'd seen her, driving away from this house as her dad held her. She talked about how she'd asked him everyday for months when she was coming back. About how, when the kids at school's teasing got too much and she started fighting. About going quiet and withdrawn when it occurred to her that maybe if she was a nicer little girl her Mom might come back. She told Chloe about when her Grandmother moved in, and about when she died.

The more Beca talked, the more she realised she couldn't stop. She started telling her everything. She had never told anyone these things. Not her dad, not her Grandmother, not Jesse. She talked about lying about her age to get her first tattoo and then second tattoo. About discovering music and how when she'd mixed her first track, all the fear and anger that was bubbling beneath the surface seemed to melt away. She told her about when she realised she was gay, and how when she told her dad, he just smiled and hugged her. That was the first time he said he was proud of her. She talked about how the casual bullying she'd gotten got ramped up a notch when kids at school found out she was gay. She couldn't seem to stop. Everything that had been bottling up since her Mom left was pouring out of her.

Chloe didn't interrupt, she just let her talk until she couldn't talk anymore.

When she finished, a small silence fell over the room.

"Holy shit," Beca said. "That's the most I've ever talked, ever."

Chloe smiled, and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for telling me all of that."

"I didn't over share?"

"No. No I'm really really glad you told me. I feel like I know you a million times better," Chloe said, and Beca let out a relieved laugh.

"Once I started it was hard to stop," she said.

"How do you feel?" Chloe asked, ending their hug so she could look at Beca properly.

"Light," Beca said. "Although I'm probably just light-headed because I used up all the air in the room."

Chloe laughed before she kissed Beca on the forehead.

"I'm really proud of you," Chloe said.

"Why?"

"Talking about all that stuff can't have been easy," Chloe said.

"I thought it would be hard, but it turns out that talking to you is the easiest thing in the world," she said. She closed the gap between them again so she could kiss Chloe properly. "Thank you for listening," she said when they broke apart. "You are the most amazing, most awesome girlfriend."

Chloe smiled and kissed her again.

When they stopped, Chloe lay down so Beca could rest her head on her chest.

"Your heart is beating super fast," Beca said softly.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I guess I'm a little nervous."

"You don't have to talk about it," Beca said.

"No, I do. I want to. It's just... I don't like talking about it much. And I don't want you to look at me differently," Chloe said.

"I promise I'll try not to do that," Beca said. She knew what Chloe meant. She remembered the looks of pity she used to get from other kids' parents and she hated it. She was determined not to give Chloe the same looks.

"Okay," Chloe took a breath and adjusted their position slightly. Beca was still resting her head on her chest, and she found it easier to talk like this. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Everything," Beca said, immediately. "I want to know it all."

Chloe thought back, and tried to pin-point where it all had started.

"Meal times were always crazy in our house," she said, remembering how it used to be. "The whole house was crazy. Still is. It's noisy and chaotic. It was worse then. I used to share a room with Lucy. Before... everything happened. It was before the attic was converted for Johnny. I never had any space. It sounds like a stupid thing to complain about, I know." She was aware that she was complaining about having too much family, when Beca had grown up with hardly any. Beca squeezed her hand and she continued.

"I just felt trapped a lot of the time. Lucy used to take my clothes and my makeup. The twins always needed entertaining. Aubrey was always making sure I was on top of homework. I felt like I had no control over anything. And it's no ones fault, really. I didn't tell them I was struggling. I didn't tell them I felt like I was drowning some days... Most days. I didn't want to disappoint anyone. So I just kept quiet about how I was feeling. I didn't think it was a big deal. And then one day, about two years ago maybe, I was ill. Too ill to eat. Just throat trouble, nothing serious. But my Mom put me to bed and told everyone that no one was allowed to disturb me. And it was amazing. I had all this time to myself and I got to just... be. Just exist without having to do anything else. No school work. No playing with the twins. No arguing with Lucy, or listening to her music or her phone conversations." She cleared her throat again before shaking her head. "It seems so stupid. There are so many people with much bigger problems and-"

"Hey," Beca said, softly. "It's not a contest. It doesn't mean your struggle means less."

Chloe took a breath before she carried on. "We used to eat 'family style'. Like, my Mom would put dishes of food on the table and everyone would help themselves. It was always a mad rush as everyone fought to get the best bits. After the day I got to skip dinner and go to bed, I started taking smaller portions. I ate quickly so no one would notice, and then I'd excuse myself. I'd make up some excuse about homework and I'd go and lie in my room and do nothing. I'd be hungry, but I didn't mind. Because it was my decision to do it. I was in control of this one little bit of my life. I started doing it more often. No one noticed, or at least I didn't think they did. I started going running with Aubrey because we'd heard that the Barden Bellas only accepted girls with... With bikini ready bodies. And I knew I wasn't fat, but I wasn't exactly thin." She hadn't realised she'd started crying until she felt Beca wipe a tear from her cheek.

"Go on," she said, quietly.

"I started spending more time worrying about my weight than anything else. It was constantly in my head. What I should eat, when I should work out, how I could keep control of everything. By the time my Mom figured out something was going on, actually eating stuff became hard. It was like the food would stick in my throat, and the thought of swallowing it would make me feel like I was going to be sick. She said she thought I was looking too thin, but I couldn't see it. She started just giving me soup because it was all I could handle. It's still my go to when I'm struggling. Aubrey suggested we stop going for runs, because she could see what my Mom could. But I just went without her. Then, just before Christmas break last year, I noticed my hair had started falling out. I looked at it in the mirror for a long time and decided I hated it. I hated everything about myself. My eyes were dull. I was pale. My hair was lank and falling out. I went into town and into a hair salon. I asked them to cut my hair short. Really short. I guess they realised something was wrong because they just asked me to sit and wait. Then I realised I recognised one of them. She was a friend of my Mom. She came over and told me, very kindly, and quietly, that she had called her and that she was on her way to get me, and that everything would be fine." Chloe choked out the last few words as more tears started spilling down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and continued.

"I ran out of there as fast as I could. I got home, locked myself in the bathroom, and started cutting my hair. My dad had to kick the door down to get me out. When he finally got the door open, he burst into tears at the sight of me, cowering in the bathtub surrounded by hair. I spent a week in a psychiatric hospital after that. Aubrey visited me everyday. She cried and told me that she was sorry she put so much pressure on me. She said I was more important than the Barden Bellas and that if they only wanted bikini ready bodies then there was something wrong with them. They let me out on the condition that I start a very strict meal plan, and if I didn't stick to it then I'd be admitted again. Christmas dinner was hard. Every meal was. We didn't eat 'family style' anymore, and no one left the table until everything was gone. I ate a lot of soup."

If she'd have looked at Beca then, she'd have seen have seen that she was crying too.

"I tried going back to school that January but it seemed that people had heard what had happened. I mean, it's a small town I guess. So I took another month off. Aubrey brought my homework over for me and helped me stay on top of things. My Mom used to be a teacher, and she thought about home schooling me, but I wanted to get back. My hair had mostly grown back, and I had put weight back on, so in February I went back to school. And although kids teased me, I found it easier to ignore them. Things at home got easier too. Johnny saved up his wages so he could convert the attic into his room so I could have his old one. He said it was for him, but I know he did it so I could have my own space. Over summer I started feeling like my old self again. I got back into singing and meal times didn't feel like such a chore. We still don't eat how we used to, but my Mom is more relaxed about the others leaving the table. I'm always the last to finish, but Mom always waits with me. She waits as long as it takes and she never makes me feel bad about it." Chloe was smiling now, but Beca still had tears in her eyes. "It's almost a year since it all exploded. And even though I still have bad days. Days where it takes me hours to finish a meal. I feel so much better than I did. And... And I feel so lucky that I met you. The first time we hung out, you understood what I needed, and you didn't make me feel weird about it. And you've made me feel so important, and special, and I think... Beca, I think I love you."

She felt the words slip out of her mouth before she could stop them. _What was she thinking? They'd only been dating a few weeks._

Before she could apologise, Beca was kissing her.

"I love you too," she whispered, still crying. "You're the most beautiful, most amazing girl I've ever known."

"Do you mean it?"

"Yeah, I do. I love you."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Helloooo super sorry about the delay, I was sick the past two weeks but I'm feeling better now so hopefully updates will be more frequent. I'm also sorry this chapter's shorter than usual, but I wanted to get something out and since the last chapter was so long I'm hoping you'll forgive me.**

 **Pretty please review!**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Over the next few weeks, both Beca and Chloe were in full-time study mode preparing for their mid-terms.

On the day that the exams were over, there was a palpable feeling of relief around the school.

"Well, that's it," Jesse said, grinning as the six of them walked out of the school. "It's out of our hands now." Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, Stacie, Jesse, and Benji had become something of a gang in the past month.

Chloe's hand involuntarily tightened around Beca's.

"So, Becaw are you having your usual end of term party? Fat Amy will be home from college and I'm sure she can get us beer again," Jesse asked.

"Maybe," Beca said. "My dad still feels bad about missing my birthday so he's been home a lot more."

"Oh, that's too bad," Jesse said.

"Too bad?" Aubrey said. "Yeah it must really suck having your dad around, Beca."

"Yeah," Benji said, grinning, "I mean having a dad is great and everything Beca, but where is Jesse going to go to drink shitty beer?"

Beca and the others started laughing.

"Okay, take it easy, you know I didn't mean it like that," Jesse said, holding his hands up in surrender.

Once they arrived at their cars they said their goodbyes. Chloe climbed into Beca's. It was a Friday and as their mid-terms were done, Beca was staying over at Chloe's for the first time. They were both nervous and excited.

"So tomorrow, I thought I'd give you your Christmas present," Beca said as she drove to Chloe's.

"You didn't have to get me a Christmas present!" Chloe said.

"Relax, it didn't cost me anything," Beca said, laughing at her. "And Aubrey and all the others will be there too."

Chloe frowned, puzzled.

"You'll see," Beca said. "You just need to be free tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at 6ish?"

"Okay," Chloe said, feeling another flutter of excitement. "How do you think the mid-terms went?"

"Uhh, I dunno," Beca said. "I do so terrible in exams that I'm trying not to get my hopes up. How did you do?"

"Okay I think," Chloe said. "Hopefully well enough that Barden University doesn't laugh in my face when they get my application."

"They'd be idiots not to want you," Beca said.

Beca felt a flurry of nerves as she parked up outside of Chloe's house. She grabbed her bag from the back seat and the pair made their way inside.

The typical flurry of Beale activity greeted them inside. Beca's mom was making dinner while the twins ran laps around the kitchen table. They could hear Lucy speaking loudly to one of her friends on the phone. Both her dad and Johnny were still at work.

"Hello girls!" Chloe's Mom called out. "How did it go?"

"Pretty good, I think," Chloe said.

"Yeah, it went okay," Beca said. The more she thought about it the more she was convinced that she'd messed it up.

"Well I won't badger you about it," her Mom said, sensing both girls would rather not talk about it. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour."

"Cool, thanks Mom," Chloe said. "We're gonna go dump Beca's stuff upstairs."

Chloe's Mom had been apprehensive about letting Beca stay over, but she trusted her. She knew she wouldn't pressure Chloe into doing anything she wasn't ready to do.

On the way to Chloe's room, Beca spotted the bathroom that Chloe had once locked herself in. The bottom of the door was still bent in where it had been kicked.

Beca tore her eyes away and focused on Chloe again. Seeing the door like that made it all feel a lot more real.

Chloe closed the door after them when they went into her bedroom.

Beca put her bag on the floor and then sat on the bed beside Chloe.

"I'm really glad you're staying tonight," Chloe said, looking down at her hands which were tightly clenched together.

"You're nervous," Beca said, placing her hand on top of Chloe's.

"A little," Chloe said.

"You know that nothing's going to happen that you don't want to happen, right?" Beca said.

"I know," Chloe said, smiling as she looked over at Beca. "You're the best."

Beca laughed and shook her head. "And you're my favourite."

They ate dinner with the family, and for once Chloe didn't finish too far behind the rest of the family. Beca made sure to keep pace with her, and fielding the seemingly endless questions from the twins definitely helped her slow down.

"Are you Chloe's girlfriend?"

"I am."

"Do you like dinosaurs?"

"I do."

"What's on your wrist?"

"It's a tattoo."

"What's a tattoo?"

"Um... It's like a drawing you get on yourself but it stays there forever."

"Mom I want a tattoo!"

After dinner, they watched a movie with the rest of the family. Robbie wanted to watch Cars, Aliza wanted to watch Monsters Inc., so the family decided on Toy Story 3 as a compromise. Beca struggled to hide the fact that she cried at the end.

"I finally found a movie I like," Beca said, subtly wiping her eyes as they headed upstairs.

"I can't believe you haven't seen it before," Chloe said, pretending not to notice.

"I saw the first two," Beca said. "And I guess I liked them. I was a kid, I don't remember."

Chloe shook her head.

She shut the bedroom door behind them.

"So, what do you want to do?" Beca asked as they once again found themselves sitting on Chloe's bed.

"Um, we could change for bed and watch another movie? I know you've already had to watch a movie and-"

"A movie sounds great," Beca said, cutting her off. She was willing to do whatever it took to stop Chloe feeling nervous.

Chloe smiled and kissed her gently. "Or we could just keep doing this," she said, her hands clenching in her lap again.

Beca kissed her back. "Movie first," she said. She kissed Chloe on the forehead before taking her stuff so she could change in the bathroom.

After putting on a pair of pyjama bottoms, a baggy t-shirt, and brushing her teeth, she left the bathroom, bumping into Lucy on the landing.

"Hi," Beca said. She hadn't really spoken to Chloe's sister much, and she got the impression that Lucy didn't like her.

"Hey," Lucy replied. She hesitated before using the bathroom. "Um, listen, I just wanted to say that you and Chloe are really cute together."

"Oh," Beca said, surprised. "Thanks." She laughed because Lucy looked slightly uncomfortable. "I know it's hard to say sincere things when you're thirteen so thanks, I appreciate you saying that."

She saw a flicker of a smile on Lucy's face before she rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom.

"Your sister thinks we're cute together," Beca said, climbing into bed beside Chloe once the redhead had went and cleaned her own teeth and face. She lifted her arm so Chloe could cuddle up to her.

"Aliza?"

"Lucy."

"Oh," Chloe said. "Cool. She hates everything so this must be a first."

"So what are we watching?" Beca asked, nodding towards the laptop which was resting on their laps.

"Whip It," Chloe said. She had looked through her DVDs for a movie she thought Beca might like.

"Hot girls playing roller-derby? I'm in," Beca said. She felt Chloe laugh against her.

"Are you saying you think that there are more hot girls than me?"

"Oh you're the hottest of all the hot girls," Beca said.

They watched the movie, and Beca found that she didn't hate it. It was funny and, if you ignored the romance, full of really cool women.

"Two good movies in one night," Beca said when it was over, "this is the first time this has ever happened."

Chloe laughed and turned off the laptop before putting it on her floor.

She lay down and Beca mirrored her so they were lying face to face. Since the bed was only a single, they were lying very close together, their legs entwined. Beca's eyes were roaming over Chloe's face, taking everything in.

"You're so pretty," Beca said. One of her hands was resting on Chloe's side, her thumb brushing across her ribs. Chloe smiled, relieved it was dark so that Beca couldn't see her blush.

"You're pretty too," Chloe said. She swept a strand of hair from Beca's face. "I love you."

"I love you too," Beca said, softly, before leaning in and kissing her.

They kissed for a long time, until they finally broke apart, both red faced and a little out of breath.

Beca swept a tear from Chloe's cheek with her thumb. "Are you okay?"

Chloe nodded, smiling. "It's a happy tear. I'm just so glad you're here."

"Me too," Beca said, smiling herself. She kissed her again.

They fell asleep not long after, wrapped in each others arms.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hello my friends here is the latest chapter!**

 **Please please please please please keep reviewing you have no idea how much it helps me :)**

 **Also, full disclosure, I have no idea how American schools work so I've guessed a lot of it. Forgive me?**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

At six o'clock the next evening, Beca pulled up outside Chloe's house. Beca had gone home a few hours before to shower and change and see her dad, and now she was back to take Chloe to her Christmas present. Jesse, who hadn't been able to ride with Benji, was sitting in the back of her car.

Beca knocked on her door and waited. Chloe came out not long after. She wearing a navy blue dress, and her hair was lightly curled.

Beca whistled when she saw her, and Chloe giggled before giving her a twirl.

"You scrub up well, Beale," Beca said.

"So do you," Chloe replied. Beca was wearing a plain white t-shirt underneath a smart black jacket with black skinny jeans. Her hair was also lightly curled and her makeup was a lot less dark than usual.

"I'm literally wearing a t-shirt and jeans," Beca said, looking down at her outfit.

"But you wear them so well," Chloe said.

"So, ready for your gift?" Beca asked as they walked to the truck. "Oh and third-wheel McGee there needed a ride," Beca added, gesturing to Jesse in the back seat.

"I heard that," he called.

"I said it loud," Beca replied.

"What is this gift?" Chloe asked, feeling more confused by the minute. She climbed into the truck and automatically grabbed Beca's iPod so she could put on some music.

"My dad managed to get some tickets to the Barden University a Capella Christmas show thing. The Bellas are performing along with a couple of other groups. I figured you and Aubrey would want to see them," Beca said, glancing across to gage Chloe's reaction.

"Oh my God, Beca! That's amazing!" Chloe said, practically squealing. "I've only ever seen them on YouTube, this is going to be so cool!"

Beca grinned and turned her attention back to the road.

"Does Aubrey know about this?" Chloe asked.

"They all do. I asked them not to spoil the surprise for you," Beca said.

"You are just the greatest person who ever lived," Chloe said, leaning across to quickly plant a kiss on Beca's cheek.

Jesse cleared his throat.

"Dude I did warn you," Beca said. "I can't be held accountable for the amount of PDA you see."

"How long is the drive to Barden University again?" Jesse asked.

"Like an hour," Beca said.

Jesse groaned and sat back in his seat. "Can we play I-Spy?"

"No."

"Twenty questions?"

"No."

"The license plate game?"

"No."

"Fuck, marry, kill?"

"No."

"You're no fun," Jesse sulked.

"You are correct," Beca replied.

Chloe couldn't help but smile to herself. She was glad their friendship had recovered, she knew Beca had missed Jesse when they weren't speaking.

"Chloe?" Jesse asked.

"Yes?"

"Is Aubrey single?"

Beca and Chloe glanced at each other with matching smirks on their faces.

"I believe she is, yes," Chloe said, turning in her chair slightly so she could see Jesse.

"And does she like dudes?" He asked.

"She does," Chloe replied. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Jesse said. "Just curious."

There was a pause during which Beca tried not to laugh at Jesse's attempt at being casual.

"So, in a totally hypothetical situation, if someone were to ask her out, what would be your advice to that person?" Jesse asked.

Chloe thought for a moment. "Well she broke up with her last boyfriend because he kissed another girl at a party, so I would recommend not doing that," she said.

"Good advice for everyone, I think," Beca said.

"Definitely," Chloe agreed. "Maybe just ask her out to see a movie. And let her pick it. She doesn't like romantic comedies very much but she loves horror movies."

"Huh," Jesse said, "I never would have guess that."

"Just make sure you treat her well, or I may have to murder you. You know, in this hypothetical situation," Chloe said.

"Please, as if I would treat a woman badly," he said. Beca's hands momentarily flexed on the steering wheel and she shifted in her seat.

Chloe noticed and put her hand on Beca's thigh, giving it a squeeze. Beca smiled and picked it up to kiss the back of it before putting it back.

Jesse looked away, unsure why the atmosphere had changed. Then it clicked.

"Um, and obviously I won't try and kiss her until I know that's something she wants and his ready for," he said, sheepishly.

"Good," Beca and Chloe said together.

Jesse shook his head and laughed. "You guys are adorable," he said.

"Jesse, don't make me regret giving you a ride," Beca said, unable to stop herself from grinning.

"He's right though," Chloe said, "we are adorable."

"Don't you start."

The rest of the journey passed quickly and soon Beca was pulling into the Barden University parking lot.

Jesse let out a low whistle as he looked up at the university. They all climbed out of the car.

"This place looks impressive," he said.

"Yeah," Chloe said, "it really does." This was her first time at the university and she felt intimidated. _How on Earth will I ever get into a place like this?_ she thought.

Beca reached down and took Chloe's hand.

"This place would be crazy not to take you," she said, as if she was reading her mind.

"Maybe I'm just crazy for thinking I can get in," Chloe said, still looking at all the grand and prestigious looking buildings.

"Look, if my dad thinks I have a shot at getting in, then you've got nothing to worry about. If I wanted to come here, I'd have to rely on nepotism," she said. Chloe laughed and shook her head.

She felt a small bubble of something rise up in her stomach as thought about what it would be like attending college without Beca. It made her feel sad. If Beca stayed in Barden then they would be able to see each other fairly often considering the university was only an hour away from the town, but she doubted Beca would stay. Beca didn't seem the type to stick around somewhere when she didn't have to.

"You okay?" Beca asked.

Chloe nodded and pushed those feelings away. She didn't want to ruin the night by worrying about the future.

"Come on we should go meet the others," Jesse said, looking at his phone.

They joined the group at the entrance to the auditorium. Beca's dad was waiting there for her.

"Ah, here you are!" He said. He handed over the tickets. "Enjoy the show ladies." He spotted Jesse and Benji. "And you two."

"Thanks dad," Beca said.

Even Beca had to admit that the show was pretty great. She thought the Bellas were cool, but maybe a little old fashioned. They hadn't sung anything recent, and their choreography reminded her of something a flight attendant would do before take-off. She was seriously impressed with the Treblemakers however. They were fun and exciting and were full of energy.

Her favourite part of the evening however had been the look on Chloe's face when the Bellas had walked out. It was like she had just watched her favourite band walk out on stage.

"Thank you for this," she had whispered as she leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

Now they were walking back to their cars and Chloe had linked their hands together again.

Jesse was going back to Benji's house for a night of video games and pizza, so Beca and Chloe had the car to themselves.

"Did you enjoy it?" Beca asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Beca, it was amazing," Chloe said. "It was like the greatest thing I've ever seen."

Beca grinned. "I'm glad you liked it."

"I'm going to have to find some way of repaying you," Chloe said.

"You don't have to do that," Beca said. "Having you as my girlfriend is the greatest Christmas present ever."

Chloe chuckled and kissed her on the cheek again. "That was so cute and so cheesy."

"Yeah it was... Maybe don't tell anyone?"

"Too late," Chloe said. "I've already posted it on facebook, twitter, and instagram."

"Damn, you work quick," Beca said.

They sat in silence for a while.

It was nearly 9:30pm and pitch black outside. That, combined with the warm air blowing through the car heater, meant Chloe was soon yawning.

"Tired?" Beca asked, glancing over.

"Nope," Chloe said, shutting her eyes as she curled up on the seat. "I'm totally awake."

Beca laughed and turned her attention back to the road. Her iPod had died on the journey to the university, so they hadn't had any music.

Beca glanced over again to see that Chloe had, of course, fallen asleep.

She started humming softly to herself. She didn't want to wake Chloe up but she did want something to entertain her.

The she started singing.

"You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say. I'm talking loud not saying much," she glanced over again, checking Chloe was still sleeping. "I'm criticised but all your bullets ricochet. You shoot me down, but I get up."

Chloe wasn't asleep, but she wasn't about to let Beca know that. Not with Beca singing _this_ song.

"I'm bulletproof," Beca sang, smiling to herself, "nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your aim-"

Then Chloe joined in, harmonising perfectly. It was the most perfect sound Beca had ever heard.

"Fire away, fire away." Beca looked across, but didn't stop singing, and neither did Chloe. "You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium. You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium."

"You can sing," Chloe said, grinning broadly.

Beca laughed and grinned herself. She wanted to look at Chloe again but thought that looking at the road should probably take priority.

"How come I've never heard you sing before?" Chloe asked. "Your voice is amazing."

"I've never heard you sing either," Beca pointed out. "And I'm pretty sure you're the one with the amazing voice."

"You should come to Barden University with me," Chloe said, "and join the Bellas." She was only half joking and Beca knew it.

She couldn't deny that the idea of going off to university with Chloe was beyond appealing. Even joining an a Capella group sounded a bit fun, providing Chloe would be there with her. But then she thought about the actual school side of it. She thought of exams and studying and writing essays. She felt a knot in her stomach.

She shook her head. "I'm way too cool for a Capella," she said. "But maybe you should come to L.A. with me and you can sing on my album." This time it was Beca who was only half joking.

Chloe chuckled and they went back to sitting in silence.

"I'll miss you when you're in L.A.," Chloe said, her voice quiet.

The knot in Beca's stomach got worse. "Yeah," she said, aware that the conversation had suddenly gotten real. "I'll miss you too."

More silence.

"Beca?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Beca smiled. "I love you too, baby."

When they arrived at Chloe's house they stayed in the car for a while, alternating between kissing and talking.

"This time last year," Chloe said, once they'd broken apart, "I would never have thought I'd ever be this happy."

"Same here," Beca said, tucking Chloe's hair behind her ear. Chloe closed her eyes at the contact.

"Do you have to go home?" Chloe asked, her voice even quieter. "All I want to do right now is cuddle up to you and go to sleep."

"I could call my dad and ask," Beca said.

"Give me two seconds and I'll go and check with my mom," Chloe said. She gave Beca a chaste kiss and hurried inside.

Beca called her dad.

"Hello?" He said.

"Hi Dad, it's Beca," she said.

"I know," he replied. "My phone does this fancy thing where it shows me a picture of whoever's calling me," he said, laughing. "What's up? Are you calling to ask permission to stay at Chloe's again?"

"Yes please," Beca said.

"Hmm," he said, pretending to think it over. "I guess considering it isn't a school night and your exams are done, I can allow it."

"Thank you!" Beca said. Chloe had stepped out of her front door and given her a thumbs up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Becs."

"Goodnight."

She hung up and headed into Chloe's house. They made small talk with her mom for a while and soon they were climbing the stairs to Chloe's bedroom again.

"I'll have to borrow some pyjamas," Beca said. "Oh, and a toothbrush."

"You can wear a pair of mine, and we have a bunch of new toothbrushes that haven't been used," Chloe said. She went into the bathroom and handed Beca one that was still in its packet.

"Can I ask why you have so many?"

"My dad went through a bulk-buying phase," she said. "I think we still have about 20 packs of toilet paper in the basement."

"Weird but oddly re-assuring," Beca said.

She washed and changed for bed and soon found herself lying in bed face-to-face with Chloe again. This time, Chloe wasn't nervous.

Beca was gently brushing the hair from her face.

"What are you thinking about?" Beca asked. Her thumb swept across Chloe's forehead, and she felt the scar Chloe had gotten as a six year old on her bike.

"You," Chloe said. Her hand was resting on Beca's waist and her thumb was brushing lightly under Beca's ribs. She closed her eyes and tried to stifle a yawn.

Beca chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "Night Chlo'," she said.

"Night," Chloe mumbled back.

* * *

Less than a week later, Beca was standing just outside of the school entrance, looking down at the piece of paper in her hands.

School had just broken up for winter break, and all of the seniors had been given their mid-term results.

There was an air of celebration and joy amongst the other students, but Beca felt sick.

She folded the list of her grades in half and shoved them into her pocket. She tried to push down the feelings of disappointment, anger, and shame.

She only had a few minutes before she'd be joined by Chloe and the others so she forced herself not to care about what was on that paper.

 _Why does it matter?_ she told herself. _You aren't going to college anyway, so what if you failed everything._

"Hey Becs!" Chloe said, brightly. "How did you do?"

Beca simply shook her head and tried to look like she didn't care.

"How about you?" She asked, relieved when her voice didn't wobble.

Chloe's smiled dropped slightly. "I passed," she said. "I, um, I did pretty well."

Beca smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "That's great, Chlo'," she said. "I'm so proud of you."

"Are you-"

"I'm fine," Beca said. "I mean it's pretty much what I expected, so..." She trailed off, half hoping Chloe would believe her, and half hoping she would see right through.

Chloe hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Becs," she said. "I know you worked really hard."

"It's okay," Beca said, ending the hug. She was afraid she was about to cry. "Do you want me to give you a ride home?"

"It's fine, I'm going to Aubrey's, remember? To get ready for tonight?"

"Right," Beca said. "Of course." Her dad was visiting Sheila for a few days so she was having an end of term party. She was relieved she wouldn't have to deal with him yet. He wouldn't be happy.

"Becs, are you sure you're okay?" Chloe asked.

"I'm fine," Beca said, forcing a smile. "I'll see you in a few hours, yeah?" She gave Chloe a quick kiss before walking away to her car. She didn't want to cry in front of her. Not this time.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: gahhhh sorry I'm a terrible person and haven't updated in a couple of weeks! Hopefully this was worth the wait.**

 **For anyone wondering, no this is not the end, I have a few more things planned so don't** **worry!**

 **Please please please please review it really helps me and it makes me smile**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

At the party that evening, Beca found herself once again tucked away in the corner of the den creating playlists. Jasper was curled at her feet and Beca was still nursing her first beer. She didn't feel like getting drunk. She knew she'd find it harder keeping her emotions in check if she was drunk. She needed to be in control.

Unlike on her birthday, however, Beca found she wasn't the centre of attention. No one was trying to pull her out of her corner and make her drink and play beer pong. Everyone was happy to let her sit and do the music. Even Chloe was caught up in a Mario Kart tournament and wasn't trying to pull her away from the laptop.

Beca didn't mind. Not really. It was easier to keep herself together when she didn't have to talk. She could feel herself retreating back into that comfortable silence that she'd loved for so long. It was like being wrapped in an old familiar blanket.

Pizza was ordered and more beers were opened, and from her space in the corner, Beca watched it all unfold. She watched with a smile on her face as Chloe ate a second slice of pizza while laughing at one of Fat Amy's jokes. She caught Chloe's eye and the redhead gave her a wink. She watched Jesse try his best lines on Aubrey, and she watched her smiled when Jesse wasn't looking. She saw her friends having fun.

They were all celebrating successful results. They were all eagerly talking about the future. About how their final year was nearly over. Amy was telling the stories of her first year at college and they were all listening, filled with the excitement of knowing it would be them in less than a year. They were enjoying being young and momentarily free from obligations. She was happy for them. She was glad she wasn't intruding.

"Hey stranger," Chloe said when the party was finally winding down. "You've been quiet tonight, are you okay?"

Beca nodded and smiled, turning away from her laptop. "Have you had a good time?"

"I've missed you," Chloe said. "You've been all tucked away. You were in the zone, I didn't want to interrupt."

"You'd never be interrupting," Beca said, smiling as Chloe took her hands and squeezed them.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Chloe asked.

Again, Beca just nodded.

"Are you doing anything after the party ends?" Chloe asked. Beca shook her head. "I was wondering if I could stay over?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "That would be awesome. Is your Mom cool with it?"

"Yeah I just called her," Chloe said. "I'm sorry we haven't hung out tonight."

"Don't be," Beca said. "You were having fun, and I was in DJ mode."

Around an hour later the last party guest left Beca's house, leaving just Beca and Chloe. They tidied up and soon found themselves lying together on the sofa, like they had so many times before.

"Is it weird that I've never been in your bedroom?" Chloe asked.

"Huh," Beca said, "I guess it is. My room is always such a disaster zone. I don't want you to see what a slob I am."

"And will I be seeing it tonight? Or are you going to keep me on the sofa so I don't discover your shameful secret?"

"Sofa definitely," Beca said, causing Chloe to laugh. "Nah, we can sleep in an actual bed. I should just warn you, it's... busy in there."

"Busy?"

"Yeah... Um, maybe you should just come and take a look. It's getting pretty late anyway," Beca said. She let Jasper out to pee again, before the two girls climbed the stairs to Beca's room.

When Beca opened the door, Chloe almost gasped.

Every inch of the wall was covered in some kind of revision flow-chart or diagram. Notes were pinned everywhere, each one with a different equation, or word definition, or important historical date scribbled on. It looked like everything Beca had been taught in the last few months were stuck to her walls.

On her desk there were stacks of papers. Each one covered in Beca's untidy handwriting.

"I meant to tidy it all up," Beca said, cringing at the paper everywhere. "But I haven't really spent a lot of time in here since the midterms ended. If it's too much we can sleep in the guest room-"

Chloe cut her off by pulling her into a hug.

"Um, Chlo'?"

"You keep pretending you don't care," Chloe said, softly. "And that you're okay. But I know you care about this. I know you're upset that you didn't do well in your midterms. I know how hard you worked."

Beca wanted to cry. She wanted to tell Chloe just how hard she had worked. How many sleepless nights she'd spend staring at the notes on her walls. Trying to memorise everything she'd need to pass these exams. She wanted to tell her about the way her stomach sank when she looked down at her grades and saw she'd failed almost everything. The only thing she'd scraped by in was English, because the exam was only a percentage of her grade. She wanted to tell her how scared she was to tell her Dad, and how much she felt like a failure.

But she couldn't.

The words stuck in her throat and wouldn't come out.

Instead she ended their hug, and cleared her throat.

"I did work hard," Beca said. "But I failed anyway. And... And it really doesn't matter. I'm not going to college so..." She trailed off and shrugged. "My Dad will be pissed but he'll get over it."

Chloe frowned. She knew Beca was holding back, but she didn't want to push her. She could tell Beca had managed to rebuild some of her walls since finding out her grades, and she knew that just trying to force them down wouldn't work.

"Actually, could we stay in the guest room?" Beca asked. "The bed is bigger, and it's just a bit too much in here."

"Sure Becs," Chloe said. "Can I borrow something to sleep in? Oh, and a toothbrush." Beca smiled and nodded, glad the subject had been dropped.

She gave Chloe a baggy t-shirt and some shorts to sleep in and one of a spare toothbrush that hadn't been used yet.

When they finally crawled into the guest bed, they realised it was the first time they were sharing a double.

"Look at all this space I have!" Chloe said, stretching out so she took up almost the entire bed, practically pushing Beca out of it.

Beca laughed, and stretched out over the top of Chloe.

"You're right," Beca said, "there's so much space."

They both laughed before cuddling up together like they usually would.

"You know I love you, right?" Beca asked.

"I do," Chloe said, squeezing Beca tighter. "And you know I love you?"

"Yeah," Beca said, smiling.

"When does your dad come home?" Chloe asked.

"Tomorrow evening," Beca said, feeling a nervous jolt in her stomach. She really didn't want to tell him. She would have lied about it if she could, but she knew he'd want to see the paper. "He's... He's gonna be really pissed."

"But it's not like you didn't work hard," Chloe said.

"He won't see it like that. Grades are the only thing he's really strict about. I've managed to scrape by so far but he's expecting As and Bs," Beca said. She felt Chloe pull her closer.

"It'll be okay," she said. "He can't stay mad forever."

"Yeah," Beca said. "I know."

The two girls spent the next morning and afternoon hanging out in the den, watching TV.

Beca kept glancing at the clock, counting down the hours until she had to face her dad. Chloe kept squeezing her hand and tried to keep her distracted.

"Text me, okay?" Chloe said as they sat in Beca's car outside the redhead's house a few hours later.

Beca nodded and tried to smile. Chloe gave her a quick kiss before heading into her own house.

Back at home, she made her dad's favourite meal for dinner, and made sure the house was clean and tidy. Then she sat at the kitchen table and waited.

When she heard his keys turn in the door, her stomach twisted. Jasper ran down the hall, barking happily and soon her dad was in the kitchen, looking tired but happy to be home.

"Come and give your old man a hug," he said putting down his bag and opening his arms. She did and for a second thought maybe everything would be okay. "So, how did you do?" Or maybe it wouldn't.

"Um... Not great," she said, her eyes dropping to the ground as she stepped away from him.

"Well," he said, his smile slipping, "I'm sure you couldn't have done that badly. Can I see?"

She pulled out the folded piece of paper from her back pocket and handed it over. She watched, tense and quiet, as his eyes scanned her list of grades.

 _Please don't be mad,_ she thought, desperately, _please don't be mad._

"Beca... What... What is this? You failed everything," he said, staring in disbelief at the paper.

"I passed English," she said, quietly.

"Oh, yeah, great. A D in English. I'll crack open the champagne shall I?"

She winced. "Dad-"

"I mean, come on Beca! You're smart! I don't understand how you could have done this badly! Did you even study? I mean, all those hours you spent in your room, I assumed you were studying. But maybe you were just messing around making those stupid songs!" He shouted, furious.

"I did study-"

Her dad interrupted again, not listening to her. "Well from now on your laptop is confiscated until you bring your grades up. I want Cs in everything at least."

"You can't do that!"

"Can't I? I paid for it. And if your hobby is taking precedence over your education then you don't get to have a hobby anymore," he said. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he was being unreasonable, but he was too angry to think straight. He knew his daughter was bright, and he couldn't bare the thought of her wasting this time and ending up doing some dead-end job for no money.

"I tried," Beca said, angry tears filling her eyes. "I really tried. But I've told you before, I can't do exams."

"You aren't trying hard enough then," he said, looking again at her list of grades. "I mean, if you can't pass high school level math then what hope do you have of getting through college? If you can even get into college now. I know Barden won't take you unless you get at least a B in-"

"Dad stop! I am not going to college! I've told you a thousand times but you just won't listen! What do I have to do for you accept that?" She said, shouting over him. Jasper had started barking and whining and pawing at her leg.

"So you thought you'd fail your midterms and I would just drop college? Fine, I'll drop college. Let's take college off the table. And you can take your future ambitions off the table too," he said, still furious. "Maybe you'll be in that 1% of people who actually make it in the music industry. Maybe you'll be rich and sucessful like... P Diddy!"

Under normal circumstances, Beca would have rolled her eyes and laughed, but now she was struggling not to cry. If her dad had noticed how upset she was, it didn't stop him.

"Or maybe you'll be like the 99% of people who fail and who need a real job so you can, you know, pay bills and buy food. Well, no problem, there are plenty of okay jobs that don't require a college degree. But how many of them do you think will even give you an interview if you don't graduate high school?"

"I'll graduate high school," Beca said, blinking back tears as she stared at the ground.

"Will you? Because if you get these grades in a few months time then you definitely won't. You've... You've really let yourself down here, Beca. I'm so disappointed," he said with a sigh.

Something inside Beca snapped. "Fine," she said. She stormed past him and down the hall. She could hear Jasper running behind her, barking, but she walked out of the front door and slammed it behind her. The dinner she had made for him was just beginning to burn.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Pretty please review?**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters.**

* * *

Chloe had been staring at her phone for a long time. She knew Beca's dad must have gotten home by now, but Beca hadn't text her like she said she would. She was worried.

When she saw that Beca was calling her, she felt flooded with relief.

"Hey," she said.

"Um, hello, is this Chloe?" A man's voice said. Chloe felt a weird knot in her stomach.

"Yes, who is this?"

"It's Beca's dad," he said. "Uh, so I was wondering if Beca was with you?"

"No," Chloe said, the knot in her stomach getting worse. "No she isn't with me. What's going on?"

"She... uh... we had an argument. Or... or I was too harsh on her." She heard him clear his throat. His voice was strained. "She walked out over an hour ago and she left her phone and..." he cleared his throat again, "I called the police but because she's 18, they have to wait until she's been gone 24 hours. They said to call her friends and so... So here we are. Me calling you," he let out an awkward, strained laugh. Chloe could tell he was on the verge of tears.

"She's missing? Have you checked the woods by your house?" Chloe asked, thinking that would be the first place she would have gone.

"The woods? Do you think she'd go there? In the dark?" He asked, as if the idea would never have occurred to him.

"I'll go there now," Chloe said. "Stay where you are in case she comes home. I'll find her, don't worry."

"Thank you, Chloe," he said, sounding slightly relieved. "Will you tell her... Tell her I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fly off the handle like that."

"I'll tell her," Chloe said. She hesitated. "You should look in her room."

"What? I know she's not in there, she went out the front door-"

"Just look," Chloe said. "I know Beca gives off the vibe that she doesn't care but... You should just look."

She hung up the phone and turned to see her Mom watching her.

"Can I borrow the car?" Chloe asked.

Her Mom had overheard the conversation, but she didn't like the idea of Chloe going out in the dark alone. "I'll take you," her Mom said, grabbing the car keys from the table.

"Mom, you don't need to-"

"You're not going out alone. You aren't 18 yet. I'll drive you to her house and then I'll wait in the car. When you find her, I'll drive back. Or I'll drive you both back."

"Okay," Chloe said, hugging her Mom. "Thank you."

"Come on," her Mom said. "Let's go."

* * *

While they were driving to his house, Beca's dad walked up stairs to his daughter's room. When did he last go in there? He didn't know.

He turned the handle and, like Chloe, almost gasped at the inside.

He sat on her bed and tried to take it all in.

What an idiot he'd been.

* * *

"You think she's in there?" Chloe's Mom asked, looking out into the dark wood beside Beca's house.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I know she is."

Her Mom handed her a flashlight from the glovebox. "Do you need me to come?" Chloe shook her head. "Call me if you need me, okay?"

"Okay," Chloe said, climbing out of the car and into the woods.

Chloe scrambled over branches and rocks as she made her way to Beca's spot. She nearly fell flat on her back when she felt the ground start to slope, but managed to steady herself with a branch. When the ground leveled out she shone her light into the clearing, and soon the light fell on a figure sitting huddled on a log.

Beca had seen Chloe's flashlight a mile off, but she assumed it would be her dad out looking for her.

"I don't want another lecture," she said, not looking up when she felt the light hit her.

"I wasn't going to give you one," Chloe said. Beca's head snapped up. "Or maybe I should lecture you about sitting alone in the woods in the dead of winter in the pitch black." She sat down beside her. "Without a jacket, I might add." She took her coat off and wrapped it around Beca's shoulders.

"How..."

"Your dad called me," she said. "So... I guess it didn't go well?"

Beca shook her head.

"For what it's worth, he said he was sorry. He sounded really worried on the phone," Chloe said.

"He was right though. I'm a failure."

Chloe took Beca's freezing cold hand and squeezed it. "Don't say that. Just because you struggle with exams doesn't mean you're a failure." Her hand was full of tiny scratches, no doubt a result of running through the woods in the dark when she was upset.

Beca shook her head again. "I'll never get a job if I can't graduate high school. And going off to LA is a dumb idea because... Because my music isn't special. It isn't even my music it's just... stupid mashups. I'm not good enough to be a music producer. I'm not good enough to do anything," Beca said. "And it's not like I can just say, 'okay, next time I'll work harder' because I did my best. I did the best I could do and I still failed."

Chloe didn't know what to say. She had expected Beca to shake her head and say she was fine. To hide behind her walls. What she didn't expect was for Beca to start crying.

Beca blinked and two drops hit her legs, leaving dark dots on her jeans, just visible in the torchlight. Then there was a third. For a second, Chloe wondered if it was raining. Then Beca pulled her hand out of Chloe's so she could cover her face.

Chloe had seen Beca cry a couple of times before. But they were always only a couple of tears that Beca would impatiently wipe away. They'd always be accompanied by an apologetic laugh, and a clenched jaw. As if she was trying to force each tear back in. Like each tear was causing her pain.

She had never seen Beca cry like this. Hiding her face in her hands while her shoulders shook and the only sound was from the tiny gasps of breath that she took.

"Oh Beca," Chloe said softly, recovering from the shock and pulling Beca into her arms. Beca returned the hug and they soon found themselves sitting on the ground. Chloe held onto her as tightly as she could, as if she was protecting her from outside harm. One hand was at the back of Beca's head, the other was wrapped around her waist. "It's okay," she whispered softly. "It's okay."

It took a while, but eventually Beca's breathing evened out, and her shoulders stopped shaking.

"What am I gonna do?" Beca asked, her tears finally subsiding.

"We'll think of something, don't worry. But for now we should get you home, your dad will be worried sick," Chloe said. She had sent him and her mom a quick text when she found Beca, but she knew it had been long enough that they'd both be worrying again. She helped Beca to her feet. "Come on." She held out her hand and Beca took it. "Do you want me to stay tonight? Or if you want you can come back to mine? Or if you need to be alone, that's fine too."

"Can you stay?" Beca asked, her voice still sounding small and almost child-like. "I'd really like it if you stayed."

"Of course," Chloe said.

They walked in silence back to where Chloe's Mom had parked, the only sound was the occasional sniffle coming from Beca and the sound of twigs snapping under their feet.

When they reached the car they found Chloe's Mom sitting inside looking relieved to see them. She got out and hurried over.

"Everything okay?" She asked, fighting the urge to pull Beca into a hug.

Beca nodded, staring at the ground. "Thank you for driving Chloe here," she said. She didn't want to look up. She didn't want Chloe's Mom seeing her like this. She didn't want anyone seeing her like this.

"That's okay, honey," she said. "I'm just glad she found you."

Beca nodded again but still couldn't bring herself to look up. She felt Chloe's hand leave hers as she went to give her Mom a hug. She glanced up felt a pang inside her at the thought of being hugged like that by a parent. For a split second, she wished her own Mom was here.

"I'll see you tomorrow Mom," Chloe said, linking her hand with Beca's again.

"Okay sweetie," she said. "And Beca?"

Beca looked up. "Yeah?"

"Don't beat yourself up over this, okay? It's only school, it's not life or death."

Beca nodded and Chloe's Mom got into her car and drove off.

"Come on," Chloe said, walking her towards the front door. "I'm freezing my ass off."

"Shit," Beca said, realising she was in Chloe's jacket. "I'm sorry, I didn't even realise how cold it was."

"It's okay," Chloe said, squeezing her hand. "But let's go inside before I turn into an ice-sculpture version of me."

Beca looked at her front door but didn't move to open it. She just swallowed clenched her free hand.

"Becs, he isn't made anymore, I promise," Chloe said.

"Ah ha," Beca said, still staring.

Chloe opened the door for her, and let go of her hand so she could put it on Beca's back and guide her in.

In the kitchen, they found Beca's dad sitting at the table with his head in is hands. His head snapped up when he heard them walk in.

"Oh thank god," he said standing up from the table and walking over to them. "Beca, I'm so sorry." He pulled his daughter into a hug and Chloe watched as Beca slowly raised her arms to hug him back. She closed her eyes and rested her head on her chest. Chloe saw the tension leave her shoulders. She felt like she was intruding, so she looked away.

"I'm really sorry, dad," Beca said in a small voice. "I really did try."

"I know you did," he said. "I'm so sorry I said those things. I didn't mean them. I just want you to be happy, Becs. And if going to college isn't going to make you happy then I promise I'll stop pushing it on you. And… And we'll figure out a way for you to pass your finals. I can get you a tutor or… Or something."

"Okay," Beca said, ending their hug and finally smiling.

"We'll talk more tomorrow, okay? I think you should go and relax with this lovely young lady over here," he said, sweeping a tear off one of her cheeks.

Chloe, who had been playing quietly with Jasper, looked over and smiled.

"Thank you for finding her, Chloe," he said.

She walked over to them and took Beca's hand. "Thank you for calling me," she said.

"Okay, goodnight girls," he said, looking incredibly relieved to have Beca back.

"Night dad," Beca said, feeling a million times better than she had a few hours ago. "Thank you," she said to Chloe. "For coming to get me."

"Anytime Beca," Chloe said.

The pair went upstairs and climbed into the double bed of the guest bedroom. Beca had physically recoiled at the sight of her own room and, after grabbing pyjamas for them both, left it as quick as she could.

"How about tomorrow we make it look more like a normal bedroom?" Chloe asked, playing with Beca's hair as they lay in bed together.

"That's not a bad idea," Beca said. "Have I ever told you that you're literally the most amazing person on Earth?"

"Never in those exact words," Chloe said, giggling.

"I'm so glad I met you," Beca said, closing her eyes as she snuggled in closer.

"Me too," Chloe said, smiling. "Me too."


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Happy Easter Sunday!**

 **Please** **review!**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Beca woke up in the middled of the night with a pain in her arm from the way she'd been lying. She carefully sat up and started stretching her arms, hearing a satisfying crack. She flexed the sore one a few times and rolled her shoulder back until the pain went away.

She felt a hand on her back and she looked down to see Chloe looking up at her. She could just make out her smile in the dark.

"Hey," Beca said, her voice a little rough with sleep. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," Chloe said softly, her hand still gently rubbing Beca's back. "Everything okay?"

Beca nodded and lay down on her front, her head turned to face Chloe. Chloe began to trace the outline of the purple rose tattoo on Beca's shoulder, just visible beneath the strap of her vest-top.

"You never told me the meaning behind this one," Chloe said.

"My Grandma was called Rose, and purple was her favourite colour," Beca said. "She was… She was a really brilliant woman. I had to commemorate her somehow."

"It's beautiful," Chloe said. She moved her hand away and started brushing Beca's hair away from her face. "You're beautiful."

They started kissing then.

And if Beca had to choose, it would be her favourite time they'd kissed so far. It was gentle and slow and slightly sleepy.

When they broke apart, their faces were mere millimetres from each other. Their noses barely touching.

"You're the most beautiful person in the whole world," Chloe said.

"I'm pretty sure that's you," Beca replied with a small laugh. "You're just the most stunning girl, inside and out. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to call you my girlfriend."

They started kissing again, this time, Chloe's hand strayed from where it had been resting on Beca's hip.

"Can I?" She asked, her hand brushing against the waistband of Beca's shorts.

Beca nodded, her breath catching in her throat.

And if Beca had been asked to choose what her first time should be like... What their first time should be like... She would have picked this.

The next morning, they both slept late. Beca had woken up at around 8am but was too exhausted to do anything other than cuddle up closer to Chloe and fall asleep again.

When they both finally woke at 10am, they still spent another hour in bed, just talking. Chloe's finger lazily tracing over Beca's tattoos again.

"Last night… Was it… Okay?" Beca asked, nervous.

Chloe smiled and nodded, blushing slightly. "It was amazing."

"Yeah," Beca said, relieved. "It really was." She thought for a second. "And you didn't feel like, pressured or anything did you?"

"Becs, I was the one who made the move," Chloe said, smirking.

"I know," Beca said, smiling again. "I just wanted to make sure."

"You're cute," Chloe said, leaning in to kiss her.

Beca's stomach rumbled and the redhead started laughing, and stopped their kiss.

"I guess we missed breakfast," Chloe said.

"Yeah," Beca laughed. Then her smile dropped. "Shit. We missed breakfast. I'm such an idiot." She rolled out of bed and started pulling on her pyjamas that had been discarded the previous night.

"Beca, it's okay. I can miss one meal," Chloe said.

"Can you?" Beca replied. "I thought this meal plan you were on was pretty strict."

"It is," Chloe admitted, "but it's okay. It's just one meal."

Beca shook her head. "It's still within brunch time," she said, checking the time on her phone. "Just stay here, and I'll be right back." She threw on her robe.

"Beca, you don't have to," Chloe said.

"Yes I do," she called as she hurried out of the room.

Chloe sat back against the bed and couldn't help but smile. She knew she could probably have afforded to skip breakfast. Most people she knew never ate it, and before everything had started she didn't either. But Beca was right, her meal plan was strict, and skipping a meal was dangerous. She might be in recovery, but that didn't mean she could afford to let things slide. Especially considering she had a check-up with her old counsellor and her Mom and Dad in a couple of days.

She loved that Beca understood just how important this was. She loved that she wouldn't let her get away anything. She just plain loved her.

Beca came back with two cups of coffee, a plate with two bagels and cream cheese, and a very excited Jasper.

Chloe suddenly felt a pang in her chest.

This could be her future.

Some part of her told her to rein it in. She was only 17, she shouldn't be picturing a future with Beca. But she couldn't help it. Lying in bed with her on a Sunday morning, drinking coffee, a dog curled up between them. It was heaven.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Beca asked. "Do I have food on my face?"

Chloe smiled and shook her head. "Just thinking about how much I love you."

"Oh," Beca said, smiling herself. "I love you too."

Once they'd finished their late breakfast, the two girls showered and dressed and then tackled Beca's bedroom.

It took a while taking everything off of the walls, but eventually they had everything sorted into neat piles on Beca's desk.

"You know, you should really talk to Aubrey," Chloe said once they were done. They sat on Beca's bed, a little tired but glad to be finished. "Aubrey's a study machine. I found tests a lot easier once she'd organised my notes and made me a studying timetable."

"Oh, um, that's okay. I'm sure she's got her own stuff to be getting on with," Beca said. "She doesn't want to be wasting her time helping me when she has her own finals to study for."

"Wasting her time?" Chloe asked, turning to look at Beca. "You're not a waste of time."

"Well, not to you maybe. But-"

"Not to anyone," Chloe said. "Do you think Aubrey doesn't like you or something?"

"No, I'm sure she… Well… My guess would be she's indifferent. Which is fine-"

"Beca," Chloe said, interrupting her again. "Of course she likes you. You're her friend, aren't you? You invite her over for parties. You got her tickets to see the Bellas live. You're dating her best friend. Why wouldn't she like you?"

Beca shrugged. "I guess I just assume most people don't like me until they tell me otherwise," she said, quietly. "And I don't see why she'd want to help me study."

"Because you're her friend," Chloe said. "I'll ask her for you."

Beca wanted to argue, but she knew Chloe would probably win, so she just smiled and said okay.

Beca checked her phone and saw that it was 1pm.

"Come on, time for a late lunch," she said, taking Chloe's hand. "Soup?"

Chloe smiled. "Sounds great."

* * *

A few days later, Beca was in the den working on a mix when there was a knock at the front door. Jasper leapt from her lap and ran towards the door, barking happily.

Assuming her dad had forgotten his keys again, she saved her mix, and went to answer the door.

Aubrey was standing there, carrying a large bag of files and folders and brightly coloured paper.

"Um… Chloe isn't here," Beca said.

"I know," Aubrey said. "She told me about your organisation methods and I've been thinking about them ever since. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course," Beca said, stepping aside quickly to let her in. She lead them into the den and Aubrey dumped the bag on one of the chairs. "Coffee?"

"Please," Aubrey said.

"Black no sugar right?" Beca asked. Aubrey smiled and nodded.

The two girls spent the rest of the day organising Beca's notes into colour-coded files.

Aubrey had been impressed with the quantity of Beca's notes. It looked like she'd written down everything the teachers had said in their lessons. She had helped Beca highlight what was important to remember, and had even drawn her up a study timetable.

"Don't try and focus on every subject at once," Aubrey said, showing her the timetable. "It'll only confuse you. Focus on one subject per day, and don't do it for too long. Do maybe an hour or two after school. I have a bad habit of staying up until midnight studying but after a few hours I just don't take anything in."

Beca nodded, remembering how many times she had been up all night, frantically trying to cram as many facts and dates and equations into her head as she could.

"Also audiobooks are a godsend," Aubrey said. "You can listen to them when you're doing other stuff, and they always stick in my head. I have all the books we're studying this year in audiobook form so if you want I can put them on your iPod for you."

For a second, Beca was terrified she was about to cry. She didn't know why Aubrey was being so kind and helpful. She had given up her whole day to sit with her and help her.

Beca cleared her throat slightly. "Thank you," she said. "Um, I really appreciate all of this. It's… It's really awesome."

"What are friends for, right?" Aubrey asked, grinning.

Beca smiled, and checked the time. "You wanna stay for dinner? I'm just gonna order some pizza."

"Isn't Chloe coming over after her meeting?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah," Beca said, "but you should still stay. We can watch a movie or something."

"Yeah okay," Aubrey said. "Just let me call my Mom and let her know."

* * *

Chloe was quiet in the back of her parents' car as they drove back from her counsellor's office. Her hands were clenched together in her lap.

"You're quiet, sweetie," her Mom said, looking at her in the rear-view mirror. "Everything okay?"

"Ah ha," Chloe said.

The meeting had gone well. Her counsellor was impressed at how well Chloe had stuck to her meal plan, but didn't think she was ready to do without one yet. She had been honest with him and her parents about how sometimes she still had the urge to skip meals, and that sometimes she still found eating difficult. But she was also honest when she said she hadn't yet skipped any.

The thing that was causing her trouble, was when he talked about his concerns about her moving away for college. She'd only be an hour away, but still far enough that she'd want to live in dorms.

"I'd like you to do weekly counselling sessions while you're there," he'd said. "I'm not going to lie, you're going to find it hard being in charge of your own meals for the first time, and it's important that you stick to your plan. You won't have your parents checking up on you, making sure you aren't skipping meals, so it'll be down to you."

Chloe had glanced at her parents then, both of whom looked worried.

"Chloe?" Her Mom said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Do you still want us to drop you at Beca's?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. "Please."

She couldn't deny that she was worried about college now. If she even got in that is. What if she didn't get into Barden, and had to move further away for college? Away from Aubrey, who she was hoping would keep an eye on her and stop her slipping up. Away from her parents. Away from Beca.

By the time she knocked on Beca's door, she'd started feeling sick with worry.

Beca opened the door with a smile which slipped at the sight of Chloe looking so unhappy.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked, letting Chloe inside.

Chloe shook her head and hugged her, closing her eyes as Beca ran a hand up and down her back.

"Did it not go well?" Beca asked.

"No it was fine," Chloe said, still holding her tightly. "It just made me a bit worried about college. I'll tell you later," she added.

"Um, so Aubrey's here," Beca said. "She's been helping me organise my stuff all day so I asked her to stay for dinner and thought we could all watch a movie or something. Is that okay?"

"That's very okay," Chloe said, smiling at the thought of her best friend and her girlfriend bonding.

"We have pizza, or I could make you some soup," Beca said, once their hug had ended.

"Soup's great," Chloe said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Go see Aubrey and I'll bring it through," Beca said. "She's in the den."

"I love you," Chloe said, kissing her again before she left.

"Love you too," Beca replied.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter is so late, I've had a bit of writer's block with this one. I** **hope you'll all forgive me. Also, to those asking, I'm not sure how much longer is left. There are still some things I want to do, but I don't know how many chapters they'll need.**

 **Please please please review**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

It was a few days before Christmas when Beca's Dad came to visit her in the den. She had just finished a couple of hours of chemistry studying, and was now relaxing on the sofa, listening to a playlist of some mixes she'd made for Chloe.

"Sounds good," he said, sitting on an arm chair and gesturing at her computer. She knew he still felt bad about his outburst so he had been more complimentary about her music than usual.

"What's up?" She asked, pausing her music and sitting up on the sofa.

"Um… So, I should have mentioned this before, but Sheila is going to be staying for Christmas," he said.

"Oh," Beca said, surprised. "Okay. When is she coming?"

"Christmas Eve. Is that okay? I should have asked, but things have been a bit mad this week," he said.

"Yeah, it's okay," Beca said. "It's about time I met her anyway."

"I guess it is," he said, looking relieved. "So, um, how is… everything?"

"Fine," Beca said, tempted to laugh at his awkwardness. "Since Aubrey helped organise all my notes and stuff I've been-"

"I didn't mean with studying," he said. "I meant with you."

"I'm fine, Dad," Beca said, wondering where this was all coming from.

"Things still good with Chloe?"

"Yeah, things are great," she said. "Are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine," he said, smiling. "Just wanted to check. Sometimes I worry that I don't know what's going on with you. You're so independent. You've always been independent but I guess I never realised how little I knew you."

"I had to be independent," she said, looking down.

"I know that," he said. "I could have done better."

Beca hadn't been prepared for a deep conversation like this. She was never prepared for deep conversations like this.

"No," Beca said, "you did the best you could. What's brought all this on?"

"When you ran out the other night, I had no idea where you'd be. Your car was still there but I still couldn't think of a single place where you'd go. Maybe Chloe's, but when I called her, she knew exactly. It was the first place she suggested. She knows you better than I do, and I guess that freaked me out," he said. He'd started scratching Jasper behind the ear to give his hands something to do. "I suppose that's normal. No parent really knows their teenage kid."

"You know me about as well as anyone does," Beca said. "Chloe's just different."

He smiled at the way her face changed when she said Chloe's name.

"Maybe she could come out to dinner with us one time. While Sheila's here, I mean," he said.

"Um… Maybe, yeah," Beca said, looking apprehensive now. "I'll ask her."

"Is it because of Sheila? Would she be nervous meeting her or something?"

"No," Beca said, trying to find a way to phrase what she was about to say. "She, um, she doesn't really do the whole eating out thing. But I'll ask her. Just don't be offended if she says no."

"Okay," he said, confused but not wanting to press the issue further. "Well I'll just leave you to it then."

Beca hit play on her laptop again, and lay back down on the sofa, but she found she couldn't relax again. She wasn't used to these deep conversations with her dad, and now she had the added pressure of meeting Sheila to think about.

Jasper jumped up onto the sofa, his paws digging into her stomach.

She reached up and stroked him absentmindedly. When she stopped, he nudged her hand with his head.

"You wanna go for a walk?" She asked, hoping that would help clear her head.

Jasper barked in response and leapt off, running into the kitchen where his leash was kept.

* * *

The next day was the night before Christmas Eve, and Beca had been invited to spend it at Chloe's. She was hoping she'd get a chance to see her on Christmas Day, but Chloe had warned her just how crazy a Beale Christmas Day was what with all the extra grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins coming over.

"Technically, it's more of Hanson Christmas than a Beale one," Chloe had said, explaining it to her. "All of Mom's side are the redheaded crazy ones, they're the Hansons. There's only a few Beales on my dad's side and they're much quieter. You're obviously welcome to come and join in the mayhem, but once you're here they won't let you leave."

When Beca arrived at Chloe's house, she knocked and waited like she always did. Both Chloe and her Mom kept telling her just to let herself in, but she felt weird doing it.

"Happy Christmas Eve Eve!" Johnny said happily when he opened the door.

"Hi," Beca said, laughing. She waited for him to step aside so she could come in, but he just kept standing there, grinning. "Um, can I come in?"

"We have a rule on Christmas Day in this house," he said. "You have to sing the first line of your favourite carol before we can let you in."

"But it's not Christmas Day," Beca said, wondering if she could text Chloe to come and save her without him knowing.

"Oh Johnny let the poor girl in," she heard Chloe's Mom say from behind him. She let out a sigh of relief as she was suddenly ushered into the warmth. "Honestly, that boy gets more and more like one of the Weasley twins the older he gets. Chloe's just upstairs, would you tell her dinner will be done in about an hour?"

"Will do," Beca said, managing to dodge the twins who came sprinting into the kitchen as she was leaving.

She walked past Lucy on the stairs who was talking rapidly into her phone, and shook her head slightly, wondering how it was possible that in two days at least half a dozen more people would soon be crammed into the house.

She knocked on Chloe's door, and waited for a response before she pushed it open.

Chloe was lying on her bed, her eyes were closed but Beca knew she was awake. She could hear music coming from somewhere, and she recognised it as a song she had mixed. Her room was almost completely dark apart from a string of fairy lights that were wrapped around her headboard. You could hear the noise of the household underneath the music.

"Hey," Beca said quietly, putting her bag down and taking off her shoes and jacket.

"Hi," Chloe said, keeping her eyes closed. She held out a hand and Beca crossed the room and took it.

She climbed onto the bed beside Chloe, and the redhead changed her position so her head was resting against Beca's chest. Beca put her arm around her and squeezed her closer.

"Everything okay?" Beca asked.

Chloe shook her head, eyes still closed. "Everything is about to get very loud," she said. "We didn't do a big Christmas last year. This will be the first since it all happened. It's going to be loud and busy, and I don't know that I'm ready for it."

"Are you worrying about the dinner?" Beca asked, unsure how Chloe was going to cope with so many people during a meal.

"I'm worried about it all. The actual eating is going to be so hard, but it's not like it'll all be over once that's done. There's dealing with all the kids. All the relatives asking questions, several of them I'll be coming out to. There's the presents. More food. Drunk aunts and uncles. And then a lot of them will be staying over. I've got two cousins bunking with me. There's no chance for a break. I'm scared I'm going to lose it," Chloe said, her voice catching slightly. "So I've just been enjoying the quiet while I have it."

"If it gets too much, you just need to call or text me, and I'll come and get you," Beca said, kissing her on the top of the head. "There's just gonna be three people in my house for Christmas, including me, and we can just hang out just the two of us. We never make a big deal about Christmas. In fact this will be the first time in a few years that we're actually having a proper dinner, and that's just because Sheila's coming. So even if you just need five minutes of quiet, just tell me, and I'll be here. We can go back to mine, or just sit in my truck and not speak. Whatever you need."

"I promised my Mom I'll try," Chloe said, finally opening her eyes so she could look at Beca. She watched the colours from the lights reflecting off her face, changing slowly from pink to blue and back again. "I can't just run away."

"It isn't running away," Beca said, brushing the hair from her face. "It's taking care of yourself. I'm sure your Mom will understand if you need some space."

Chloe nodded, and Beca kissed her forehead.

"Your Mom said dinner would be ready in an hour by the way," Beca said, sweeping a stray tear from Chloe's cheek. "And Johnny tried to make me sing a carol."

Chloe laughed, and Beca smiled at the sound.

"I love you," Beca said.

"I love you too," Chloe replied.

"Promise me you'll call me on Christmas Day if you need me?"

"I promise," Chloe said.

* * *

The next day Beca made it home from Chloe's with only an hour to spare before her Dad would arrive with Sheila. She quickly showered and changed and tried to do her makeup in a way that didn't make her look like she wanted to, in Jesse's words, "murder everyone and their children".

She was nervous to meet this woman who could, if all went well, become her step-Mom. She didn't want to mess it up for her dad by being moody and distant, but that was all she knew how to be, especially with strangers.

When she heard her dad's car pull into the driveway, followed by the sound of his keys in the door, her stomach did a flip. She stood up from the kitchen table and put on her most winning smile.

"Jesus Bec, you look like you're in pain," her dad said when he saw her.

So much for that plan then.

"John, don't be so rude!" A laughing woman said from behind him. "Hello Beca, I'm Sheila, lovely to meet you."

She opened her arms and Beca only had a few seconds to shoot her dad a look before she was pulled into a hug and kissed on both cheeks.

"Hi," Beca said, slightly taken aback. "Nice to meet you too, I've heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope!" She said before laughing again.

"Oh no, terrible things," Beca said, causing her to laugh again.

"Let's all go and sit down," her dad said, looking relieved that things were going smoothly so far. "Sheila, I'll take your bags upstairs and Beca can show you to the living room."

"Oh am I actually allowed in it?" Beca asked, her eyebrows raised in mock surprise.

"Well are you going to spill black coffee all over the white rug?"

"I might," Beca said. "For old times sake."

"Ha! Funny!" He said in a voice laced with sarcasm as he carried the bags upstairs.

"The, uh, living room is just through here," Beca said, showing her the way. She hadn't been in her dad's living room in a long time. If they ever spent time together, they did it in the kitchen. This room had one too many memories of her mother for her liking. She was relieved when she was effectively banished and given her own room. "Can I get you a drink or anything?"

"No I'm fine, sit down. I want to know all about you," Sheila said.

Beca took this opportunity to fully take in the woman opposite her. She wasn't what she'd expected. She was slightly plump, with blonde hair streaked with grey, and she wore cat-like glasses that were attached to a beaded chain around her neck. She was wearing a long green skirt and a purple and green striped knitted cardigan. If Beca had been asked to picture a guidance counsellor, this would be it.

"Now don't worry," Sheila said. "I'm not going to start drilling you on what you want to do after high school and where you see yourself in five years."

Beca let out a slightly relieved laugh.

"Your dad tells me you make music?" Sheila said.

"Yeah, kind of," Beca said, wondering why she was taking such an interest. She figured Sheila would have just asked her about school and college, considering she was also a teacher, and maybe asked about Chloe. "Um, I basically take two or three songs that have, like, similar beats or structures and mix them together to make one song. I like pulling songs from different genres and, um, sort of mashing them together. It makes for some cool sounds."

And the rest of the evening went on like that, with Sheila asking Beca questions and seeming genuinely interested in the responses. She laughed at stories Beca told about her dad, and had some of her own to share about him that made Beca laugh.

At some point, a bottle of wine was opened, and her dad let her have some providing she didn't spill it on the rug.

"I think you love that rug more than me," Beca said, accepting a second glass with a grin.

"Beca… That rug cost me $1,200… of course I love it more than you," he said with a wink and a smile.

As she climbed into bed that night, Beca had a warm, happy feeling inside her that was only partly due to the wine. She had never seen her dad so happy, and she really liked Sheila. They made a good couple, but Beca didn't feel like she was being pushed out.

At one point in the night, her dad had disappeared to grab some snacks and Sheila had come over to her and put both hands on her shoulders.

"Let's be real for a second," she said. "I'm not going to try and steal your dad away from you, okay? That's not what I want. And I'm also not trying to replace your Mom." Beca must have winced, because Sheila gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Bad choice of words. What I'm trying to say, is that I love your dad. And I think you a very, very lovely girl. Woman. Lovely woman." She hiccupped, slightly tipsy. "What I'm trying to say," she said again, "is that I understand that I'm not just in a relationship with your father. I am now in a relationship with you… That sounded weird but you know what I mean. I… I forget where I was going with this but I just don't want you to worry, okay? Should it come to that, I will be as much parent as you want me to be, okay?"

Beca had nodded, and Sheila gave her a hug which, this time, Beca happily reciprocated.

Beca lay in bed and couldn't help but smile. The night had gone better than she'd hoped.

She had been texting Chloe periodically during the night, trying not to seem rude to Sheila, and also trying not to ignore Chloe who was still worried about the next day. Now as she lay in bed, she decided to give her a call. It was one minute after midnight but she knew she'd still be up.

"Merry Christmas," Chloe said with a sleepy voice when she answered the phone.

"Merry Christmas," Beca replied, closing her eyes and smiling at the sound of her voice.

"So you like her?" Chloe asked.

"I do. She's nice. She laughed at all my jokes and she snuck me more wine when dad wasn't looking," Beca said. She heard Chloe laugh through the phone.

"Are you a bit tipsy, Beca Mitchell?" Chloe asked.

"Maybe a little," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," Chloe said. "But my Mom came to see me, and she said that if at any point it gets too much then I can just excuse myself and have five minutes in my room. She also said she's happy for me to call you if I need to, but she does want me to try and get through dinner and spend time with the family."

"I had a quick word with my dad," Beca said, "and told him that I might need to go and see you and he said it was fine."

Chloe was quiet for a minute, and Beca wondered if she'd fallen asleep.

"I don't want to lose it tomorrow, Becs," Chloe said, her voice strained as if she was holding back tears.

"I know you don't, baby," Beca replied, wishing more than anything she could drive to Chloe's right then. "But I promise you, I will be there if you need me. I don't care if it's in the middle of dinner or the middle of the night, I'll be there."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Longer chapter than I'd planned but I got a bit carried away :P**

 **For some reason it didn't post properly the first time, so I'm trying again :)**

 **Please review, it would make me super happy :)**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

 _Merry Christmas_ Chloe thought to herself, gloomily, at 6:30am on Christmas morning. She looked down at her bedroom floor which now had two camp-beds set up, ready for her sixteen year old twin girl cousins. Twins ran in her family.

She could hear both Aliza and Robbie talking quietly outside her door. She could hear Johnny moving around upstairs in his attic bedroom. She could hear a muffled conversation between her parents happening downstairs, mixed with the sound of her mother chopping vegetables.

"Chloe?" Aliza whispered from outside her door. "Are you awake?"

Chloe smiled, and braced herself before replying. She knew that this was likely to be her last quiet moment until tomorrow afternoon.

"Yes," Chloe replied. "You guys can come in."

The door opened and Aliza and Robbie ran into her room, both talking loudly and rapidly.

"Okay, okay," Chloe said, holding her hands up. "Not so loud, it's still very early."

"But Chloe, it's Christmas!" Robbie said, jumping up and down.

Chloe laughed and shook her head.

"You'd better go and wake Lucy up then," Chloe said, and they both ran giggling out of her room.

She picked up her phone and sent Beca a text.

 **Chloe: Merry Christmas! :) xxxxx**

She knew Beca probably wouldn't be up for hours yet, and she was a little jealous that she couldn't just lie back down and sleep for a few more hours.

To her surprise, her phone buzzed with a reply almost instantly.

 **Beca: What in God's name are you doing awake at this time of the morning? P.S. Merry Christmas xxx**

 **Chloe: I have younger siblings, so Christmas starts the second they wake up. The real question is what are you doing awake? xxx**

 **Beca: Some weirdo text me at 6:45am saying Merry Christmas xxx**

 **Chloe: Well that weirdo sounds awesome and very pretty xxx**

 **Beca: She's okay I guess. Can I go back to sleep now? xxx**

 **Chloe: You're so lucky that that's even an option. Enjoy your nap, love you :) xxx**

 **Beca: Love you too xxx**

Once everyone was up and dressed, the five Beale kids made their way downstairs.

Their Mom was in the kitchen, cooking Christmas dinner, and their dad had fallen asleep in the armchair in the living room. He had to leave in a few hours to pick up his sister and her family. Her dad didn't drink so he was perfectly happy to make the 45 minute trip to pick them up and drop them off so they didn't have to worry.

They all piled into the living room and exchanged hugs and Merry Christmases and then gifts.

Being a large family, there was never many to open, but none of them minded. Once everything was handed out and unwrapped, Chloe's Mom spotted an extra present under the tree.

"Oh, Chloe this ones for you," she said, reading the tag.

Chloe frowned, puzzled, before taking it and looking at the tag. She recognised Beca's sloppy handwriting and she smiled. They had both agreed not to get each other a present, but that hadn't stopped either of them from sneaking the gift under the other's tree when they weren't looking.

Chloe unwrapped in and found an envelope inside with a USB taped to it.

Inside the envelope was a note, and a small stack of photographs.

 _'Some photos for your wall, and some new mixes._

 _Merry Christmas._

 _I love you._

 _Beca xx'_

As everyone entertained themselves with their new gifts, Chloe looked through the pictures and with each one her smile got bigger.

There was the selfie Beca had taken when they were hanging out in the den. Chloe had been trying to hide behind Beca, but you could still see her and the smile that had spread across her face.

There was the one when she'd surprised Beca by kissing her on the cheek at the last second.

There was one of her playing with Jasper that she hadn't even known Beca had took.

One of the whole group of them at the Christmas party they'd had. Beca was absent from this one, having been the one who took the photo.

A candid one of her and Aubrey, laughing at something.

A posed one that Beca had asked Jesse to take when they went to see the Bellas perform.

"Mommy Beca and Chloe are kissing on this one!" Robbie squealed as he peered over her shoulder.

Chloe blushed and quickly turned it over. On the back, Beca had written 'Your friend Aubrey is a real creep.' Chloe turned it over again and saw it had been taken on one of the occasions they'd all hung out. Beca and Chloe were separate from the group and had been caught by Aubrey sharing a quick kiss.

"Maybe I'll look at the rest later," Chloe said, embarrassed but happy. The rest of her family were still laughing at the scandalised look on Robbie's face.

"Well, I'd best go pick up Julie," her dad said, looking at his watch.

"And I'd best carry on with dinner," her Mom said. "If everyone could take their stuff upstairs that would be super helpful. Your uncle Tommy and aunt Carol will be here soon with the kids, and aunt Lizzy won't be far behind."

Chloe felt her stomach turn slightly. She loved her uncle Tommy and aunt Lizzy. They were her Mom's brother and sister and they were a lot like her Mom. Funny and kind and understanding. Lizzy was a little older than her Mom, and had never married or had kids, but didn't seem to care.

But she didn't like aunt Carol. None of them really liked aunt Carol. Carol was… a bit of a bitch. And so were her sixteen year old daughters, if Chloe was being honest. All three of them thought they were better than the rest of them, with their big house and fancy car. Tommy told her secretly one year that he comes over for Christmas dinner because Carol is such an awful cook that he would rather travel for six hours on Christmas morning than eat her food.

But because it took so long to get there, they always stayed the night. Carol, Tommy, and their young son would stay in Lucy's room because it was the biggest. Lucy would share with the Robbie and Aliza, and Chloe had the twin cousins.

Their son Daniel was now only four, and very sweet, and Chloe hoped that his bright blue eyes and ginger hair meant he would take after his dad. The blonde twins definitely took after their Mom.

"When are grandma and grandpa coming?" Lucy asked.

"Noon, I think," her Mom said, looking at her watch.

"Mom," Chloe asked quietly, "do they know? About Beca, I mean."

"They do," her Mom said. "I told them when you guys first started dating. They're both totally fine with it."

"Okay," Chloe said, relieved.

"The same with Julie, and Lizzy and Tommy. They all know and no one has any issue," her Mom said. Chloe couldn't help but notice the way she hadn't included Carol's name in that list.

She knew Julie, her husband Frank and their fourteen-year-old Max wouldn't have an issue. She knew Lizzy and Tommy wouldn't have an issue. But Carol…

"If she says anything," her Mom said, reading her mind, "just ignore her. I know that that's not a great solution. I know today is going to be tough for you, and she isn't going to make it any easier. But just ignore her. I would kick her out if I could, but it's Christmas so," her Mom shrugged, "I'm stuck with her." She kissed Chloe on the forehead. "Go and take your stuff upstairs and enjoy the quiet while you have it, okay?"

Chloe nodded and took her gifts up to her room. She sat on her bed and text Beca.

 **Chloe: Your gift was the cutest thing ever. I loved it, thank you so much. Although next time, maybe warn me if there's a picture of us kissing so I can open it in private. I've probably traumatised Robbie. xxx**

Once again, Chloe was surprised when Beca replied immediately.

 **Beca: Ooops! Tell him I'm sorry and that I'll pay for his therapy when he's older. Also, dude, thank you so much for my present. I love it, it's beautiful. But also way more expensive than printing off a bunch of photographs, so you'll have to let me make up for that xxx**

 **Chloe: If you recall, that was your second Christmas present to me. You took me to see the Bellas, remember? I know the tickets were free but the gas to drive us there wasn't. xxx**

 **Beca: I'm still going to make up for it xxx**

 **Beca: How's it going? xxx**

 **Chloe: They're all on their way. I'm just savouring the silence. xxx**

 **Beca: Remember, I'm only a text or a phone call away. xxx**

* * *

Initially, Chloe thought that maybe she'd be able to handle it all. Once all the family had arrived, they all crammed into the living room and caught up with each other. It had been a long time since Chloe had seen most of them, considering that they hadn't come for Christmas last year. Chloe found that, with regular trips to the kitchen to help her Mom and aunt Lizzy with dinner, she was able to handle the seemingly constant questions fine.

That was, until, her grandma brought up Beca.

"Your Mom said she's a lovely young girl," her grandma said, smiling, "how did you meet?"

She was aware that a few other conversations had fallen quiet. Carol was watching, and her two twins had stopped texting and looked up, clearly interested.

"Just at school. She gave me a ride home once and we sort of just hit it off," Chloe said.

Aunt Carol had pursed her lips and taken another drink of her mimosa. She was already on her second.

"So, like, are you guys like, out at school and everything? Like do you hold hands and stuff?" Bethany, one of the twins said.

"Um yeah pretty much," Chloe said.

"Wow," Lindsey, the other twin, said. "Like, no offence, but if that happened at our school, then those girls would be like, totally shunned."

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"Because, like, I mean you're just asking to get bullied aren't you?" She said. "Like aren't your friends totally weirded out by you being a lesbian? Aren't they like, scared to change in front of you and stuff?"

"No," Chloe replied. "And I'm not a lesbian, I'm bi."

"What's that dear?" Her grandma asked, leaning forward so she could hear better.

"I said I was bi. It's short for bisexual. It means I like boys and girls," Chloe said, embarrassed that she was having to have this conversation with her grandma.

"Ohh, like your Mom!" Her grandpa said, happily.

Chloe smiled, relieved.

"Well there's hope for you yet then," Carol said, with a cackle of a laugh. "Still time to get yourself a nice husband."

Chloe winced.

"So your friends really don't care?" Lindsey asked, not willing to drop it.

"No."

"Oh my god, I totally would," she said.

"Me too," Bethany replied. "Like, they don't let boys in the girls' locker room so like, why would they let lesbians? It's like really weird. No offence."

"I guess my friends are just a bit more mature than you," Chloe said. At some point, Johnny had put his hand on her back.

"Excuse me, my daughter's are very mature," Carol said.

"They really seem it," Johnny muttered.

"What was that?"

"God, leave it Carol will you?" Tommy said, rolling his eyes. "And girls, leave Chloe alone. She was trying to tell Grandma about her girlfriend, she doesn't need you two trying to make her feel bad."

A silence followed, and just as Chloe was about to excuse herself, Aliza piped up.

"I like Beca," she said.

"Me too," said Robbie.

"Come on Luce," one of the twins said, expecting Lucy to join them, "you must feel embarrassed about it. Like, no offence, but if like Bethany was suddenly a lesbian and had a girlfriend, I'd feel so embarrassed I'd be like, oh my god, my sister is a social outcast."

"Oh my god, no offence, me too," Bethany said.

"Actually, Beca's really cool. And I don't care what kids at school say. I'm really proud of Chloe for having the courage to be who she is," Lucy said, clearly having enough.

"Me too," Johnny said.

"Well said Lucy," Julie said, quietly.

"Right, are we done grilling Chloe about her girlfriend now?" Tommy asked, clearly annoyed by his wife and daughter's behaviour.

"Who's been grilling Chloe?" Her dad asked, walking in from the garden where he'd been with his brother in law, showing off his new greenhouse. "I don't think she'll taste very nice."

The younger kids giggled, and the older ones groaned and rolled their eyes.

"Well there isn't a lot of meat on her, that's for sure," Carol said.

"Carol," Tommy said, in a warning voice.

"What?" Carol said with another cackle. "Jeez it was just a joke."

"Oh don't make jokes like that," Chloe's grandma said. "It isn't nice."

Chloe felt her face burning, and all she wanted to do was disappear. She felt pressure on her hand and looked down to see Lucy holding it. None of the Beale kids thought this was funny. They remembered last Christmas too painfully for any of this to be funny.

"Dinner's ready!" Chloe's mom called from into the kitchen, and Chloe felt her heart sink further.

She tried to sit as far away from Carol and her twins as she could, but she ended up opposite them. Carol was on her fourth drink by the time they sat down.

"Maybe make that your last," Tommy said.

"Oh lighten up Tommy, it's Christmas after all!"

As the rest of the family helped themselves, to meet and vegetables and the several different kids of potatoes, Chloe's Mom filled Chloe's plate for her.

"Can't she do it herself?" Carol asked.

Chloe wondered what it was she'd done to deserve being Carol's target this year. Usually, Carol just made snide comments about her Mom's cooking, or told Johnny he needed a hair cut, or berated her husband. This year, Chloe was getting the brunt of it. She wondered if it was that, because of her, Carol was forced to cook her own Christmas dinner last year.

Chloe's Mom ignored her, and put down Chloe's plate in front of her.

Chloe looked down and saw that she had considerably less than everyone else, except probably her grandmother, Aliza, Robbie, and four-year-old Daniel. But it still looked like too much.

Soon everyone was tucking in, and the conversations soon turned to just how delicious the food was. Carol's comment about the turkey being a bit dry was drowned out by everyone else praising it.

Chloe wasn't listening to any of them. She was just trying to make her way through as much of it as she could. But she knew before she'd even sat down that she wasn't going to be able to do it. The conversations from earlier had rattled her, and it felt like every mouthful was sticking in her throat.

Soon, almost every plate was clean except for Chloe's.

"Not hungry, Chloe?" Carol asked.

Chloe felt tears in her eyes.

"Why don't we head back into the living room?" Her dad said.

"Unless you want to help me clean up," Chloe's mom added.

Chloe heard some of them laugh and then the sound of scraping chairs. Her eyes didn't leave her plate. Her knife and fork were still clenched tightly in her hand.

She heard her Mom sigh behind her. "I need you to eat more than that, sweetie."

Chloe nodded and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. "I know," she said.

"Why is aunt Carol being such a bitch?" Lucy asked. Chloe looked up, surprised that Lucy hadn't left. Neither had her aunt Lizzy who was helping her Mom clean up.

"Has she been saying stuff?" Her Mom asked.

"She and her moronic daughters have been giving Chloe shit for having a girlfriend," Johnny said, walking into the kitchen and sitting down at the table. "Now she's complaining that Chloe didn't eat anything. 'I thought that was why they didn't do Christmas last year, because she wouldn't eat.'" Johnny said, doing a perfect impression. "'Well it didn't work, she still isn't eating!' Dad looks like he wants to throw her out."

Her Mom sighed and sat beside Chloe. "Don't listen to anything she says," she said, wiping the tears off Chloe's cheeks.

"Listen, anyone who has a 'Women for Trump' bumper sticker shouldn't be given the power to make you cry, okay?" Lizzy said. "Come on you two," she added to Johnny and Lucy, "let's let the girl finish her dinner without an audience."

Chloe sat for another half an hour, but had still hardly made a dent in her now cold dinner.

"Oh my god, are you still working on that?" Carol asked, walking into the kitchen with her empty glass. "Anymore wine Maggie?" She added, handing her glass to Chloe's Mom.

"Mom, can I text Beca please?" Chloe said.

Her Mom sighed slightly. "Sure sweetie," she said.

Carol made a noise.

"Something wrong Carol?" Chloe's Mom asked, a harsh edge to her voice.

"Oh, it's just that my girls aren't allowed on their phones during dinner," she said.

"Good for you," her Mom said, wishing she could just throw this woman out of her house.

Chloe had already pulled out her phone and texted Beca.

 **Chloe: I need you.**

Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

 **Beca: I'm on my way xx**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: The response to the last chapter was really great, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations :)**

 **I have a busy weekend ahead so I'm posting this early.**

 **Please please please keep reviewing**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Beca managed to fall back to sleep for a couple of hours after her early morning text from Chloe. She was woken up again at 8:30am by her dad throwing a Santa hat at her and telling her to wake up.

"What the hell?!" Beca asked, getting such a fright she nearly fell out of bed.

"Merry Christmas to you too," he said, looking as tired as she felt.

"What's this?" Beca asked, holding up the hat. "Are we doing Santa hats now?"

"We're being festive," he said. "Come on, Sheila's doing some kind of ridiculous hot chocolate with marshmallows and she told me to wake you up."

"Well, sugar is my favourite breakfast food," she pulled on her Santa hat. "Okay, let's go be a normal family."

He left the room, and she got dressed. She dug out her Christmas sweater from last year that had 'Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animals' on the front, and pulled on a pair of jeans. She checked her phone to see if Chloe had text. She hadn't, but she did have a text from Jesse which was a photo of him in his ironically ugly Christmas sweater. She replied with a photo of her in hers, scowling in her Santa hat.

 **Jesse: You wore that one last year!**

 **Beca: Still relevant though.**

She went downstairs to see Sheila creating her elaborate hot chocolate, and her dad chopping potatoes.

"Merry Christmas!" Sheila said, cheerfully. Beca wished her a merry Christmas in return before being pulled into a hug.

"Beca, grab a knife and start peeling those carrots," her dad said.

Beca took a seat and a knife, and started peeling.

Sheila gave her her hot chocolate before checking on the turkey.

"Oh my god this is amazing," Beca said, abandoning the carrots and drinking half of the hot chocolate in one. "Forget turkey, I want this for dinner."

Sheila chuckled, she met John's eyes across the table and the two smiled at each other.

This was what he had wanted for so long.

Christmas with just him and Beca had always been a quiet affair. When she was still a kid it was fun, yet always tinged with sadness that she didn't have her mother there. As time went on, Christmas became less and less of a big deal. This time last year, Beca had slept until noon. When she woke up they both said the obligatory Merry Christmas, exchanged gifts which, in Beca's case, was a card with money inside, and then went into their own living rooms. At dinner time, he made them mac and cheese.

John couldn't be happier that this year it was completely different.

Once the dinner was prepped and cooking, they went into the living room and exchanged gifts.

Her dad and Sheila had gotten Beca a new pair of over-the-ear bluetooth headphones, and a pair of purple Doc Marten boots.

She'd gotten her dad some books he'd wanted, and had asked him to get Sheila whatever alcohol she liked best.

Then she found the present that Chloe had hidden under the tree.

"How did she even get it here, she's never been in this room," Beca said, confused.

"I may have helped," her dad said.

Beca opened the gift, and inside was a simple silver bracelet with the word 'Titanium' engraved on the inside.

"Oh Beca, that's beautiful," Sheila said, as Beca admired it.

"Yeah," Beca said, smiling, slipping it onto her wrist. "It really is."

The rest of the day went on, with Beca feeling more and more happy and content.

Dinner was amazing, even if there had been far too much food, and soon they were all lounging in the living room, having a lazy conversation between yawns.

Beca was on the verge of falling asleep when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

 **Chloe: I need you.**

Beca's heart sank as she sat up straight.

 **Beca: I'm on my way xxx**

"I'm gonna go see Chloe for a bit," Beca said shoving her phone in her pocket and pulling on her new shoes. She tried to keep her voice sounding casual, but her dad could hear the urgency in her voice.

"Okay," he said. "Text me if you're going to be gone awhile."

"Will do," she said, patting her jeans pocket to make sure her keys were still there. She'd slipped them in that morning in case she had to leave quickly.

"Wish her a Merry Christmas from us," Sheila said. She didn't understand why Beca suddenly had to leave, but it seemed important so she didn't question it.

"I will, thanks," Beca said, rushing for the door.

She drove to Chloe's in record time, and when she pulled up outside she saw Chloe was already out there, sitting on the garden wall.

Her hands were clenched tighter than Beca had ever seen them, and tears had left tracks down her face.

She rushed over to her and pulled her into a hug before she'd even said hello.

Chloe buried her face in Beca's chest and gripped her tightly, willing herself not to cry more.

Beca didn't speak for a while, she just sat beside her on the wall and held her.

"I'm sorry," Chloe said eventually.

"What on Earth do you have to be sorry for?" Beca asked, ending their hug so she could look at her.

"I pulled you away from your Christmas so you could come and sit with me in the cold," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She then looked up and noticed Beca's Santa hat, and started laughing and crying at the same time.

"Okay, well I don't think me in a Santa hat deserves that kind of reaction," Beca said, causing Chloe to laugh more. She took off her hat and put it on Chloe's head. "To keep your ears warm," she said.

"Speaking of warm, you must be freezing," Chloe said, realising Beca wasn't wearing a coat.

"Just a little," Beca admitted. "Do you wanna go and sit in the truck?" Chloe glanced back towards the house before nodding.

"I have to go back in soon. Mom is keeping my dinner warm," she said, and tears crept into her eyes again.

"Come on," Beca took her hand, "just five minutes."

They climbed in and Beca turned on the hot air, shivering slightly. She rubbed her hands together and held them up to the heater, waiting for them to warm up.

Chloe took her hand and noticed the silver bracelet she was wearing.

"You're wearing it," Chloe said, smiling.

"Of course I'm wearing it," Beca said. "I'm never taking it off. Now," Beca said, linking her hand with Chloe's, "do you wanna tell me what happened?"

Chloe's Mom watched through the window as Beca had rushed out of the car towards her daughter.

She watched as Beca held her tightly. How she kissed the top of her head. How she pulled her hat over Chloe's ears and finally got her to laugh. How she helped her into her car. How she sat there, listening. Looking at Chloe as if she never wanted to look at anything else.

She heard Carol's cackle of a laugh from the living room and felt herself tense up again.

She couldn't stand having this woman in her house and she knew that her husband felt the same.

He was currently in the greenhouse with Max, his nephew. He had to get away from Carol. He knew as long as he lived he'd never forget the sight of Chloe in that bathtub, fistfuls of hair surrounding her. The scissors in her hand. He couldn't listen to his sister-in-law make snide comments about his daughter. Not when she didn't know. Not when she hadn't seen her like that.

"Uncle David?" Max asked, bringing his attention back.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong with Chloe?"

"She's… She's just a bit upset. She finds eating dinner a bit hard sometimes. And there was a lot of people there today and that makes it harder for her. She'll be okay," he said.

"Oh," he said. "Aunt Carol said she was just doing it for attention. But I don't think she was. She didn't look like she wanted anyone's attention."

"No," he said, trying to push away his anger. "No she wasn't doing it for attention. I think your aunt Carol has just had too much to drink."

"Aunt Carol always has too much to drink," Max said.

* * *

"So, ready to head back in there?" Beca asked. Chloe had explained it all, and Beca had listened, and eventually, Chloe calmed down.

"Are you sure you want to come in with me?" Chloe asked. "I'm telling you she's a real bitch, and her daughters are awful."

"I'm coming with you," Beca said, squeezing her hand.

They walked back into Chloe's house hand-in-hand and Chloe sat back down at the table. Beca sat beside her and put a comforting hand on her thigh.

At this point, Aliza and Robbie came running in, doing laps around the table. Daniel was doing his best to keep up.

"Okay, okay no running around in here," Chloe's Mom called as she put Chloe's reheated dinner down again.

"Beca!" Robbie called before running up and hugging her.

"Hey dude," Beca replied, surprised. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas!" He said.

The sound of a new voice in the kitchen soon drew all of Chloe's relatives to it, including Carol and her twins.

Beca was suddenly being hugged and having her hand shaken by Lizzy, Tommy, Julie and then Chloe's grandparents. Carol and her twins hung back, watching.

"Back into the living room everyone," Chloe's Mom said after introductions had been made. "I know Beca is very exciting but I can't tidy up with all of you in here. Sorry about that," she added squeezing Beca's shoulder.

Beca turned her attention back to Chloe who had still yet to take another mouthful.

"I can't," she whispered. "I can't do it."

"Yes you can," Beca replied, her right hand resting on Chloe's left. "I'm right here."

Beca looked up and saw that Carol and her twins hadn't left with everyone else and were still standing there, watching them.

"I don't think we got introduced before," Beca said. "I'm Beca, Chloe's girlfriend."

"I gathered," Carol said, looking pointedly at their hands.

Beca rolled her eyes slightly before focusing her attention back on Chloe, who was already starting to get upset again.

"Hey," Beca said, softly. "It's okay. Please don't cry." She gave Chloe a quick kiss on the side of the head.

"Can I just say," Carol said, pulling Beca's attention back. "I'd actually prefer it if you didn't do that in front of my children."

"Excuse me?" Beca asked. "Do what?"

"There are children running around," she said, arms folded.

"Okay?" Beca asked. "And why does that have anything to do with me comforting my girlfriend?"

"I just think it's inappropriate. My son is only four, okay? I don't want him seeing that," Carol said. "I mean, how would I explain it? It would confuse him."

Beca opened her mouth to argue, but Chloe's Mom beat her to it.

"Robbie!" She called. "Aliza! Can you come in here and bring Daniel please?"

The three children came running in.

"Robbie," she said. "Do you know who this is?" She pointed at Beca.

He giggled. "That's Beca!" He said, laughing. "Did you forget her name?"

"Aliza, who's Beca?" She asked.

"Chloe'th girlfriend," Aliza said, giggling herself, her lisp still prominent. "Mommy you thee her all the time, how did you forget?"

"Daniel, do you understand who Beca is?"

Daniel nodded.

"You don't think it's confusing?"

He shook his head.

"Okay, thank you kids, off you run," she said before looking at Carol. "See? Easy as that. Now, please, stop upsetting my daughter and let her eat."

Carol looked like she'd just been slapped.

Beca's attention was already back on Chloe, as if Carol and her daughters weren't even there. She was whispering quiet encouragement while squeezing Chloe's hand.

"Mom, I don't think I can share a room with Chloe," Bethany said, suddenly.

"No, me neither," Lindsey agreed. "Like, no offence, but I just don't like trust you to be in the same room with us."

"Are you serious right now?" Beca said, in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how offensive that is? I mean, you can say no offence all you like, but that doesn't mean you aren't being offensive!"

"Beca, it's okay," Chloe said, not wanting her to get dragged into it.

"It isn't okay, they can't just say stuff like that to you," Beca said.

"Beca's right," Chloe's Mom said. "If you or your daughters say one more snide, bitchy thing at my daughter then you won't be welcome in this house any longer. Girls, if you don't want to share a room with Chloe, then you can share with your parents or you can sleep on the sofas. Now, please, get out of my kitchen."

Carol and her twins left the room with a huff of annoyance. They could already hear her complaining to her husband about it.

"I can't eat this," Chloe said, dropping her fork onto her plate. "Mom, I'm sorry, it's not because it doesn't taste good, I just can't." She started crying again. "I'm sorry."

Her Mom sat beside her and pulled her into her arms.

"Please don't apologise, sweetie. I don't know why she singled you out, but I promise she won't be back next year," her Mom said. "I'm never having that woman in my house again. I'm so sorry she ruined your Christmas."

Beca let go of Chloe's hand so she could hug her Mom properly. She looked down at Chloe's still full plate and felt her insides burn with anger. Chloe couldn't afford to miss a meal.

She stood up, and grabbed a tin of soup from the cupboard. At the sound of the microwave, Chloe's Mom looked up, surprised to see what was happening.

When the microwave stopped, Beca pulled the mug of soup out.

"Careful," she said, placing it in front of Chloe, "it's hot."

Chloe blinked a few times, before realising what Beca had done. She'd removed the obstacle of actually having to eat something, and replaced it with something she could drink. She wouldn't be skipping a meal.

Chloe took a tentative sip, and she knew she'd be able to finish it. It wasn't Christmas dinner, but it would do.

Beca glanced over at Chloe's Mom who was looking at Beca with an un-readable expression.

"I didn't mean to just go through your cupboards and make myself at home," Beca said, worried that she might have offended her. "I just thought, if she can't eat the dinner then she needs something, and soup is her usual go-to."

But Chloe's Mom shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

Instead she stood up and gave Beca the biggest hug Beca had ever received from a grown woman.

"Thank you," she said.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: A shorter chapter than usual I'm afraid, and I'm so so so so so so so sorry it has taken this long to post it. May was a crazy busy month for me, but I promise I'll try and make updates more regular from now on. I'm not sure how much longer this fic will be, there are still a few more things I have planned, but we're definitely in the final third I'd say.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think :)**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

"How long can you stay?" Chloe asked, finishing her soup. She felt much better, and was hoping she'd be able to relax and enjoy what was left of Christmas with Beca.

"I can stay a little longer," Beca said, checking her watch. "I just need to let my dad know. Hey," she had a thought, "do you wanna come back with me? A little later on I mean. You could stay at my place tonight and then you don't have to worry about _her_."

"That would be awesome," Chloe said. She looked at her Mom who was loading the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. "Can I Mom?"

Her Mom frowned. "If that's what you want, then of course you can. But don't feel like you have to just because of Carol."

"I want to," Chloe said. "And it'll make it easier, since the twins won't share a room with me anymore."

Beca's hand tightened involuntarily around Chloe's, and Chloe squeezed it back.

"This is your house," her Mom said, furious at the situation. "I don't want you to leave just to make it easier for them. I'd rather kick them out."

"It's Christmas," Chloe said. "You can't kick them out on Christmas. I want to go to Beca's, honestly."

"I can get Sheila to make you the best hot chocolate you've ever tasted," Beca said.

"Well then now I have to come over," Chloe said. "Shall we go and make Carol uncomfortable by existing in her presence?"

"Sure," Beca said. Chloe gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Dude, keep it PG, there are children in this house." Chloe giggled and the pair walked, hand-in-hand, into the living room.

"Cool sweater, Beca," Johnny said as they went into the living room.

"Thanks," Beca replied.

"So there is at least one movie you like?" Chloe asked, sitting on the floor in front of one of the packed sofas. Everyone bar Chloe's Mom was crammed into the living room, watching the kids take it in turns playing video games.

"Everyone likes Home Alone," Beca said, sitting beside her. "It's a classic."

"Do you guys wanna sit up here?" Julie's husband Frank said, offering to move from the sofa.

"Oh no, we're fine," Beca said. Chloe sat closer to her, and Beca's arm automatically went around her shoulder. Beca turned her attention back to Chloe and Johnny. "I once woke up on Christmas morning and the house was so quiet and empty I thought I'd been Home Aloned It turns out my dad was still in bed and had forgotten it was Christmas."

"Babe, that's the most depressing Christmas story I've ever head," Chloe said.

"Oh I've got a tonne more much worse than that one," Beca said, laughing.

"Save them for later, we don't want to depress the children," Chloe said, resting her head on Beca's shoulder, truly thankful that Beca was there with her. She ignored the looks of disgust she was getting from Carol and her twins.

At one point, Robbie came over and sat beside Beca on the floor.

"What did you get from Santa?" Beca asked him.

He told her all about his new toys, and Beca told him they all sounded very cool.

"Are you staying here all night?" He asked her.

"Not tonight," she said. "But maybe sometime soon."

He smiled and returned his attention to the TV, where Johnny was currently getting whooped at Mario Kart by Max. Eventually he rested his head on her arm, and Beca felt a balloon of happiness fill up inside her. She'd never felt more accepted by a family before.

Chloe noticed the grin on Beca's face and glanced over at Robbie, who was practically falling asleep.

"I told you he liked you," Chloe said quietly. She reached up and held the hand that was draped across her shoulders. Beca smiled and kissed the top of her head.

Chloe's Mom came into the living room, the cleaning finally finished, and perched on the edge of one of the sofas.

"Who's winning?" She asked the room.

"Max," Aliza said. "He'th really good at Mario Kart. But I beat Robbie."

"Did not!" Robbie replied, indignantly.

"Did too!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry I asked," she said, raising her hands up in surrender.

The room fell into a comfortable silence once again, and Beca soon found herself yawning.

"Tired?" Chloe asked.

"Ah ha," she said, stifling a second yawn. "My girlfriend text me at 6:30 this morning."

"It was 6:45," Chloe said.

"I stand corrected," Beca said, resting her head on top of Chloe's, "it was 6:45. Much more reasonable."

"I'm sorry, but is no one else going to say anything?" Carol suddenly blurted out.

"Say what, Carol?" Chloe's Mom said, her voice hard and angry.

"It's just… They're sitting there all over each other and it's just not natural. It's totally inappropriate to be doing that in front of children!"

"My Mom and Dad sit like that all the time," Lucy said.

"So do mine," Max joined in.

"This is different! It's-"

"Enough!" Tommy said, finally losing his temper with his wife. "Leave them alone, Carol."

An awful silence fell over the room.

"Come on," Chloe said, quietly to Beca. "Let's go get my stuff ready."

"Okay," Beca said with a sigh. She stood up and made a point of helping Chloe to her feet and holding her hand as they climbed the stairs.

When they reached Chloe's room, Beca realised she was crying again.

"Hey, hey, hey, none of that," she said softly, sitting Chloe on the bed. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You aren't allowed to cry anymore because of her, understand?"

Chloe let out a teary laugh and nodded, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Come here," Beca said, wrapping her arms around her for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "She isn't worth a single one of these tears." She heard Chloe sniff and felt her nod against her. "Do you want me to fight her? I think I could take her."

Chloe laughed and ended their hug. "I'm so glad you're here," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Beca replied before leaning in and kissing her.

Chloe's door flew open with a bang, and the two girls jumped and broke apart.

"Whoops," one of Carol's twins said, with a smile on her face. "I thought this was the bathroom."

She walked away without closing the door and they heard her walk down stairs.

Chloe sighed and put her head in her hands. "Let's just go," she said.

Chloe quickly packed some things into a bag and they walked downstairs hand in hand.

"It's just disgusting," they could hear Carol ranting. "I mean doing… that with their door wide open! What if one of the younger kids had seen it."

"Shut up, Carol," Tommy groaned.

"The door was shut, actually," Beca said when they entered the living room. "Your daughter opened it without knocking." Chloe squeezed her hand.

"It's okay, let's just go," she said softly.

"It isn't okay! She came into your house on Christmas Day and has done nothing but bully you," Beca said. She faced Carol again. "I'm sorry that the sight of me kissing and hugging my girlfriend was enough to traumatise your sixteen-year-old daughter. I can only assume that while living with you, she's never seen any kind of intimacy or affection between two people."

"How dare you!" Carol yelled. She looked around the room for support but no one was coming to her defence. Beca and Chloe were already walking out of the room. "How dare you speak to me like that! Don't you have any respect?!"

"Carol," Chloe said, so quietly that no one else but Carol and Beca picked it up. "Why don't you just fuck off?"

They could still hear her shouting as they climbed into Beca's truck.

"I should have said that years ago," Chloe said, laughing at the impressed look on Beca's face.

"That was awesome," Beca said. "You should have stayed for a victory lap and a round of high-fives."

"Maybe next time," Chloe said, still grinning.

It didn't take them long to reach Beca's home, and soon they were walking through the front door. Jasper was barking happily, and not long after, Sheila emerged from the living room with open arms.

"You must be Chloe!" She said happily, pulling her into a hug. "Lovely to meet you!"

"Hi," Chloe said, slightly taken aback. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" Sheila asked.

"Um," Chloe glanced at Beca, "it was okay thanks."

"We're just gonna dump Chloe's stuff in my room," Beca said.

"Shall I make you girls a hot chocolate?"

"That would be awesome," Beca said, taking Chloe's hand again.

"She seems nice," Chloe said when they were in Beca's room. Chloe was sitting on Beca's bed, enjoying the calm and quiet.

"She's great," Beca said. "Are you okay?"

Chloe nodded and smiled.

"Are you ready to go back down?"

"Can we have a few more minutes?" Chloe asked.

"Of course," Beca sat down beside her and took her hand. "As long as you need."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes. Chloe's head resting on Beca's shoulder, Beca's head resting on Chloe's, their hands entwined.

They could hear a quiet a muffled conversation downstairs, but other than that, the house was silent. No yelling kids. No shouting adults. No chaos.

"I'm sorry she ruined your Christmas," Beca said, softly.

"You made up for it," Chloe said. "You're like my knight in shining armour."

"Does that make you my princess?" Beca asked.

"More like your damsel in distress," Chloe said. She laughed but there was no humour in it.

"You're not a damsel in distress," Beca said. She squeezed Chloe's hand tighter. "You're the strongest, bravest person I know. You're a fighter. And you're tough. But you're still so kind and gentle. You didn't let what you went through turn you cold and un-caring. You didn't do what I did. You're my hero."

Chloe was crying again, but this time they weren't sad tears.

"Chloe," Beca said, her voice a little less certain than it had been before. "What's going to happen when you go off to college?"

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"What's going to happen with us?" Beca swallowed, trying not to cry. "I don't want to lose you."

Chloe lifted her head from Beca's shoulder so she could look at her properly.

"You're not going to lose me," Chloe said. "Barden University is only like an hour away. I'll be coming home all the time and you can come and see me. We can text and Skype and we can make it work."

"And that's definitely what you want? People always say you should go to college single so you don't miss out and-"

Chloe cut her off with a kiss.

"I want you. No one else. Whether it's here, or Barden, or outer space," Beca laughed, "I only want you."

Beca kissed her again, relief spreading through her.

This time it was cut off by a tentative knock at the door.

"Um, Sheila said your hot chocolate is getting cold," Beca's dad said from the other side of the closed door.

Beca laughed. "We'll be right down," she said. "Ready?" She asked Chloe.

"Ready."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: All I can do is apologise 9 billion times. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get this out. I've had some bad writer's block and a few busy weekends. I'll try and make things more regular from now on but I can't promise that.**

 **Even though I don't deserve it, please review.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters.**

* * *

After Christmas, time seemed to speed up.

For Beca, the days all to blurred together, but she spent 99% of them with Chloe. Sometimes it was in big groups, but most of the time it was just the two of them. They would study. They would watch movies. They would make out in her truck. They would just be together, and do nothing.

That's why, when spring break came along, Beca suddenly found herself at a loss.

Chloe and Aubrey were spending four days at Barden University. They were going to be living on campus and getting a chance to see what their classes would be like.

"I'll miss you," Chloe had said to Beca when she went to see them off the morning they left.

"It's just four days, weirdo," Beca had replied. "I'll miss you too," she'd added, in a much softer voice as she hugged her.

Beca was at a loss for what to do without her. She spent most of her time in the woods, in her clearing, watching Jasper chase various birds and squirrels and failing to catch a single one.

Beca stood up from her spot under the tree and stretched. She'd been there all day, listening to an audiobook of one of the books they were studying for English. She paused her iPod, and the voice reading Of Mice and Men stopped mid-sentence. She pulled off her headphones and looked around. The leaves had started returning to the trees and the sunlight broke through the canopy in different places. She took a deep breath and felt content. Chloe would be home tomorrow night, and they were going to spend the whole weekend together.

Jasper barked and attempted to once again catch a squirrel.

She whistled and he came running up to her. She attached his leash and the pair walked back home. Her stomach rumbled and she hoped her Dad had started making dinner.

If she had've been paying attention, she would have noticed the strange car parked outside her house. But she wasn't paying attention, so she didn't.

"I'm back, dad," she called into the kitchen once she'd closed the door. She unclipped Jasper and he ran ahead, barking happily as he always did.

If she had've been paying attention, she would have noticed he was making that over excited yappy bark he always did when he met someone new. But she wasn't paying attention, so she didn't.

When she walked into the kitchen, it took her a moment to realise why the stranger sitting at the table with her dad made her stomach flip fifty times.

She even had time to wonder if her dad was having an affair before it clicked.

The woman was almost a complete stranger.

Almost.

A complete stranger, but with Beca's eyes and nose. With Beca's hair. Hair which had once been brightly coloured.

It was like looking at a ghost.

Beca felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Hi Beca," the woman said.

Beca turned and looked wide-eyed and furious at her dad.

"I tried to call," he said, his voice apologetic.

"Are you not gonna come give your mom a hug?"

A cacophony of emotions exploded inside of Beca. She felt like her skull was going to cave in. Whatever was going on inside of her was too much for her to comprehend, so she spun around and left the house, slamming the front door behind her. She climbed into her truck and drove off.

It felt like her head was full of static and white noise. She couldn't breathe. It was coming in small, sharp, gasps, and it felt like someone was sitting on her chest. She could hardly see the road through the tears filling her eyes.

Suddenly, she broke so hard she could smell the burning rubber from the tires. The seatbelt jammed against her shoulder.

Somehow, she found herself parked outside Chloe's house. But, of course, Chloe wasn't in there.

And then she started screaming.

It was a horrible scream. Full of nothing but pain and anger.

She had just looked at the face of the woman who'd abandoned her 12 years ago.

She had heard her speak.

Her voice was achingly familiar, yet completely alien.

She remembered being in her bedroom, on her knees, praying. Praying so hard. Her fingers interlocked so tightly that her nails had dug into her knuckles.

 ** _"_** ** _Please bring my Mommy back. Please. I'll do anything."_**

Then she started punching her steering wheel.

 ** _"_** ** _Please. Please, I won't be loud anymore. I promise. I promise I'll be good."_**

She knew she'd punched the car horn a few times but she didn't care. She didn't stop.

 ** _"_** ** _I just want my Mommy to come home."_**

She was still screaming, still crying, still trying to punching the wheel, when the car door opened and someone took her hands.

"Beca," a familiar voice said. "Stop."

And she listened.

She fell silent and her whoever had her hands was holding them tight enough so she couldn't hit the wheel anymore.

She became aware of her own breathing, which was still fast and shallow, and she tried to calm down. She closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe slower, but she was still crying hard.

"It's okay," the voice said.

She opened her eyes and saw a redheaded woman reach into her car and remove the keys from the ignition.

Her heart leapt for a second, thinking maybe Chloe had gotten home early, but when she blinked away more tears, she saw it was Chloe's Mom.

"Come on," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and taking her hand.

Beca let Chloe's Mom lead her from the car and towards the house. When she got closer to the front door her steps faltered slightly.

"It's okay," she said, "no one else is home."

Beca soon found herself at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee and a box of tissues in front of her.

At no point did Mrs. Beale pressure her to talk, or ask her what was wrong. She just carried on ironing and folding clothes until Beca was ready to speak.

Beca took a sip of the coffee which was so strong and sweet she almost winced. It did seem to clear her head though, so she took a second drink.

"Where is everyone?" Beca asked. Her throat hurt from all the screaming.

"The twins are at their grandparents. Lucy is in town with some friends. David and Johnny are both still at work. And obviously Chloe is at college," she said. "So, are you going to tell me why you were fighting your car outside my house?"

Beca looked back down at her coffee, and watched the steam rise.

"I didn't mean to come here. I just drove. I didn't know where I was going," Beca said. She clenched her hand and felt pain shoot through it. "My… Mom came back. She was just sitting there in my kitchen."

"Oh," Mrs. Beale said. She abandoned the shirt she was folding so she could sit down next to Beca. "You didn't know she was coming back?"

"No," Beca said. "I didn't even know she was back in America." She clenched her fist again. "Who does that? Who leaves their six-year-old kid and then comes back twelve years later without so much as a letter?" She wiped her eyes impatiently on her sleeve. "What am I supposed to do?"

"What do you want to do?" She asked.

"I don't know," Beca said. "I want her to go away and never come back. But I also want to ask her why she… why she left me."

Mrs. Beale was hugging her before she even realised she was crying again.

"I hate her," Beca said through tears. Mrs. Beale held her tighter. "I begged her not to leave, but she just did it anyway. Why should I let her back into my life now?"

"I don't know, sweetie," Mrs. Beale said, ending their hug. "You didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve what she did to you."

"What if I did?" Beca asked. Her voice was small and sad and suddenly all Mrs. Beale could see was a confused and frightened six-year-old sitting across from her. "What if I did deserve it?"

"Of course you didn't," she said. "You could have been the most misbehaving six-year-old on the planet, and you still wouldn't have deserved it. I promise you."

Beca opened her mouth to speak but her phone started ringing in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw her dad was calling. She put it on the table without answering. She wasn't ready to speak to him yet.

"Can I?" Mrs. Beale asked, gesturing at the phone. Beca nodded so she picked it up. "Hello, Beca's phone?" Beca could just about make out her Dad's voice on the other end. "I'm Maggie Beale, Chloe's Mom." Beca wiped her eyes again and drank more coffee. "She's here with me now but I'll be honest she's a bit upset." Beca wished more than anything that Chloe was with her. "Okay. I'll pass the message on. Goodbye Mr. Mitchell." She hung up the phone and handed it back to Beca. "He said she left."

"Oh," Beca said, feeling a mixture of relief and anger. "Of course she did. That's what she does."

"Did you want her to stay?"

"No," Beca said. "I just… I don't know. I don't know what I want." Beca finished the last of her coffee. "I should go. Thank you for… Everything."

"Anytime," she said. "Are you going to text Chloe about it?"

Beca thought for a second before shaking her head. "She's having fun. I don't want to ruin it for her. I can tell her tomorrow when she comes home." Beca stood up from her chair. She was about to leave but she hesitated. "If I could pick who my Mom was," she said, "I'd have picked a Mom like you."

* * *

"So she wants to meet me?" Beca asked her dad that evening. They were both sitting eating pizza in the kitchen.

"That's what she said," he said. He looked tired and unhappy. "She turns up on our doorstep after 12 years and just expects us to welcome her in with open arms."

"So why did you?"

"I thought maybe you'd want to see her," he said.

"Well, I don't," Beca said. "She's had 12 years to get to know me."

"I know," he said, sighing. "But you should sleep on it. Don't make any decisions tonight."

"I'm not gonna change my mind," she said.

He stood up and kissed her on the head. "You might," he said. "Goodnight."

"I grew up without a Mom because she couldn't hack it," Beca said.

Her dad paused at the doorway, and turned around with a sigh. "I know, Bec."

"I don't owe her anything."

"I know," he said again. "All I'm asking you to do is consider it."

Beca did consider it.

She considered it all night.

She stayed up until the sun came up, sitting cross-legged on her bed, considering it.

Her fists were throbbing from where she'd hit the steering wheel, and her eyes were tired and itchy.

But how was she supposed to sleep?

Not for the first time, she wished Chloe was with her. Chloe always knew the right thing to say.

She thought about texting her, but talked herself out of it. She was having fun with Aubrey at college. She didn't want to ruin it for her.

So instead she lay on her bed and watched her room grow steadily lighter around her. She could hear birds chirping.

She thought about her Grandmother, and just how much she missed her. She wished she could ask her for advice.

She thought about her dad, sleeping a few rooms away, and how he must have felt opening the door to see his ex-wife standing there.

She thought about Chloe, and how desperately she wanted her.

But most of all, she thought about her Mom. About how much she'd hurt her. And how much Beca had missed her.

She tried to find some happy memories with her, but she was struggling to pick them out. Her birthday's had once been fun, but she couldn't really remember. She assumes Christmases would have been too. Had there been bedtime stories? Trips to the park? Vacations? She couldn't remember anything like that.

All she could remember was the feeling of her Mom trying to pry Beca's tiny hands off her leg.

She must have fallen asleep at some point, because she was jerked awake at 3pm by her phone ringing.

It was Chloe.

Beca cleared her throat and tried to sound normal.

"Hey you," she said when she answered.

"Hi Becs," Chloe replied, practically squealing with excitement. Beca felt herself smile at the sound of her voice. "I've missed you! I'm gonna be home in a couple of hours, can I come over?"

"Of course," Beca said. "I thought you weren't getting back until tonight?"

"Change of plans," Chloe said. "Are you okay? You sound weird."

"Um, I'll tell you about it when you get back," Beca said, knowing there was no way she could lie about what had happened.

"Becs?"

"Don't worry about me, okay? Just enjoy the rest of your day and I'll fill you in when you're here," Beca said, worried she was about to start crying again. She flexed her fist and felt pain shoot through it again.

She showered and dressed and then sat in her room waiting for Chloe. She knew she still had a few hours yet, but she didn't feel up to going downstairs and seeing her dad.

Not that that mattered, because her dad came and knocked on her door anyway.

"Hey," he said, sitting on her desk chair.

"Hi."

He put a scrap of paper on her desk. "If you do decide you want to see her-"

"I don't."

"If you do decide," he said, ignoring her interruption, "her email address is on there. She's gonna be in town for another few weeks."

"Okay," she said, looking at the scrap of paper like it was a cockroach that had just walked across her table.

"I'll leave you to it then," he said, standing up. When he opened the door this time, Jasper came running in and leapt onto her bed.

"Hey buddy," Beca said, ruffling his fur before lying down beside him. He snuggled close to her, sensing that she needed comforting. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.

She didn't know how long she slept for, but her room was almost dark when she heard a quiet knock at her door.

"Come in," she mumbled, sleepily.

She heard her door open and close and then felt the bed dip. She then felt someone climb over her, and then wrap their arms around her waist, pulling her back into their front.

"Hey baby," Chloe said softly.

"Hey," Beca replied. She wiggled around so she could see Chloe.

"My Mom told me," she said. She had tears in her eyes.

"Oh," Beca said.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you," Chloe said.

"It's okay. You didn't know."

"You should have told me."

"I didn't want to ruin your trip," Beca said.

"You're more important. And what happened yesterday was a really big deal."

"Can we… Can we just not talk about it tonight? I'm so tired, and I've missed you so much. I just want to forget about her," Beca said. "Can we just lie here and talk about something else?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, kissing her forehead. "We can do that."


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Once again I apologise for my lack of updates, life is a bit crazy for me at the minute. I hope this was worth the wait.**

 **Please review, it really really helps**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

"I'll be right over there, okay? Just a few tables away," Chloe said, giving Beca's hand a squeeze before she moved to an empty table in the cafe.

Beca had spent five days convincing herself that she didn't want to meet her mother. Five days convincing herself she didn't need her. She'd made it this long without her, why would she need her now?

Just when she'd made her decision to throw the email address in the trash and never think of her again, Beca received a Facebook message.

 **Lauren Burns: Just meet me for coffee.**

 **Beca Mitchell: Why?**

They went back and forward for hours until Beca finally agreed to meet her for a coffee.

Now, however, as she watched her mother enter the cafe, she was starting to regret that decision.

Chloe squeezed her hand and moved away. Beca saw her Mom's eyes follow Chloe across the room.

"Friend of yours?" She asked, taking a seat opposite.

"Girlfriend," Beca replied, watching her warily, as if she was about to transform into something else.

Her Mom's eyebrows raised slightly but she didn't comment.

Beca just kept staring, her hands gripping the mug in front of her. Her knuckles were still slightly bruised.

Chloe had been beside herself when they'd woken up the morning after she'd gotten home and she'd seen them.

 ** _"_** ** _What if you'd broken your hands?!"_**

"So are you just going to sit there staring at me?" She asked, with a nervous laugh. She ran a hand through her hair the way Beca sometimes did when she was stressed.

"I figured I'd leave all the hard work to you," Beca said.

"Wow, you're really not gonna make this easy on me, huh?"

"Can you blame me?" Beca asked. "Why are you even here anyway?"

"I just… I wanted to see you. I want to get to know you. I want to at least try and make up for the last twelve years," her Mom said.

"Well, you can't. You can't make up for that kind of thing. And you've had twelve years to get to know me, why now?"

"My… um… my therapist thought it was a good idea. My husband agrees," she said, looking awkward.

Beca shouldn't have been surprised that her Mom had remarried, but she was.

"Do you have kids?"

"No," she said. "I meant it when I said I wasn't the Mom type."

They were silent again, and Beca drank some of her now cold coffee.

"How did you find me on Facebook?" Beca asked, feeling the need to break the silence.

"You were the only Beca who spelled their name with one C," her Mom said. "Do you want another coffee?"

"No thanks," Beca said.

More silence followed.

All the questions Beca had wanted to ask over the years were sitting on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't bring herself to ask.

"So," her Mom said, looking around for something to say, "your dad said you make music?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "Mash-ups mostly. But I wanna be a music producer one day."

"Oh, that's really great! Are you gonna go to college for that?"

"I'm not going to college," Beca said, with a huff of annoyance.

"You aren't? Why not? You've got to go to college Becs, you'll love-"

"You don't get to lecture me about this," Beca said, cutting her off. "My dad can get on my case about college, but not you. And don't call me Becs."

"You don't like it? I used to call you it when you were a little girl."

"I don't like it when _you_ call me it," Beca said.

"Okay," her Mom said with a sigh. "No college talk, and no nicknames. So I guess I should call you Rebeca then?"

Beca winced, and her Mom chuckled softly. "I'll take that as a no. So... come on, give me something to work with here. What can we talk about?"

"We can talk about you walking out," Beca said.

Her Mom sighed again. "Okay. If that's what you want."

"It is," Beca said.

"So… Um… I guess the first thing to understand is how young I was. I was 18 when you were born. The same age you are now. I'd never… Never planned on having kids. Your dad always wanted them, and he was a little older than me. A little more mature maybe. He wanted-"

"A big family," Beca said, cutting her off. "I know this part. I know I wasn't planned, and I know you didn't… want me." Beca cleared her throat. "You can skip ahead."

"You were wanted," her Mom said. She sounded sad. "If I didn't want you, I wouldn't have had you. You weren't planned but you were wanted. And then when you were born I felt this overwhelming… fear. And love. They were always battling each other. I loved you so, so much, but I was terrified. I kept thinking I'd accidentally hurt you. I didn't know what I was doing and you looked at me with these big blue eyes and it was like you knew." Her Mom ran a hand through her hair again.

"So why did you wait until I was six before you left? Why not just go straight away? Why wait until I was old enough to remember you?" Beca asked, clutching the empty mug in front of her.

"I never planned on leaving," her Mom said, tears sparkling in her eyes now. "But I had all these plans. All these things I wanted to do. And then one day I got a call from a friend who was living in Paris. She invited me to come and stay. I'd always wanted to go, and your dad and I were basically over at this point. So… I said yes. I thought I'd only be gone for a few weeks. But I just… couldn't come back."

"So you left me because you wanted to go to Paris? And that couldn't have waited until I was older? I grew up without a Mom because you wanted a vacation?" Tears burned Beca's eyes, but she refused to look away from the woman in front of her.

"I wasn't a good Mom," she said. "I told myself you'd be better off without me. But you're right, it was selfish and childish. But I was practically a child-"

"You were twenty-four. You aren't a child at twenty-four. I was a child. I was six," Beca said, furious. "I get you were young when you had me, and you had all these dreams, but I… I needed you and you just," her voice cracked but she carried on, "you left and you didn't come back."

"I'm sorry Becs, I never meant-"

"Don't," Beca said, her voice harsh. "Don't give me sorry. You know I used to stay up all night and beg and pray for you to come home? I used to promise God, or whoever, that I'd be a good girl if you came back. I used to think about what an awful kid I must have been for you to leave. The other kids used to say my Mom didn't love me, and I used to fight them, but deep down I knew they were right. I mean… You didn't even write to me! You just vanished." Beca was fighting to keep it together. Her Mom reached across the table to take her hand and Beca jerked it back as if she'd been burned, nearly knocking her mug from the table.

"You weren't a bad kid, Beca," her Mom said. "I promise you, you weren't the reason I left. I loved you with every bit of my heart. And I thought about you everyday."

"What good is that to me now? I can't go back and tell that little girl that her Mom really did love her. You can't just come back into my life now that I don't need you."

"I can't change what happened," her Mom said. "I can't fix what I've done. And I wish I'd done things differently. I should have kept in touch, but I thought it would be easier if I didn't."

"Easier for you," Beca said. "I just don't know what you want from me now."

"I want to get to know my daughter," she said, looking desperate. "Please, Beca. I know I fucked up. I know you hate me, and you have every right to. But I want a relationship with you. I've wanted this for so long, but I've been too afraid to take that leap."

"I thought you didn't want to be a Mom," Beca said.

"I don't. I don't want anymore kids. But I want to be your Mom."

"For how long this time? A week? A month? A couple of years? When will you decide you can't do it and run away?" Beca asked. She was so close to breaking, she didn't think she'd be able to sit there any longer.

"Just give me a chance, Beca. I go back to Maine next week, but I want us to keep in touch. Just say you'll think about it," she added when Beca didn't say anything. "Give me something here."

"Fine, I'll think about it," Beca said. "But if I decide I don't want to, then you need to accept that. Don't message me or turn up at my house."

"Sure, that's fair. For the record, I am sorry for just turning up at your home like that. That was wrong of me. And asking you for a hug like that was… It was stupid. I was just so nervous," she said. "Anyway, just… let me know when you decide."

"Okay," Beca said. She glanced over at Chloe's table who was reading. As if she'd been waiting for her, Chloe looked up from her book and gave her a smile. Beca couldn't help but smile back.

"Okay?" Chloe mouthed.

Beca started nodding but then shook her head. She wasn't okay.

Chloe frowned and closed her book. She could see tears in Beca's eyes and it broke her heart. She had overheard a few heated things Beca had said, but she hadn't wanted to eavesdrop.

She wanted to go over there. To put an arm around Beca and let her cry. But she didn't want to interrupt, so she waited.

"You can invite her over here you know?" Beca's Mom said, smiling at the way Beca and Chloe were looking at each other. "If she's your girlfriend, I'd like to meet her."

Beca hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted her Mom to meet Chloe. She hadn't decided if she wanted a relationship with her Mom yet, but introducing her to Chloe would be taking a step in that direction. On the other hand, she wanted Chloe. And in the end, that won out.

She gestured for Chloe to come over and the redhead was at her side in seconds.

"Chloe, this is… my Mom Lauren," Beca said. "Mom, this is my girlfriend Chloe." It had taken a lot for her to call Lauren Mom. It felt strange coming out of her mouth. It felt alien. She hadn't called her that in twelve years.

"Nice to meet you Chloe," her Mom said.

"You too," Chloe said, her smile slightly forced. It was hard to sit in front of the woman who'd abandoned Beca at the age of six, and say it was nice to meet her.

Beca took her hand and squeezed it, holding onto her as if Chloe was her life line.

Beca's Mom checked her watch.

"I have to go," she said. "It was really great to see you Beca. I hope we can talk again soon."

"Yeah, I'll, uh, think about it," Beca said.

"It's probably too soon for me to ask for a hug, right?"

"Um… Yeah, I think so. Sorry," she said.

"You don't have to say sorry," her Mom said. "You don't owe me anything. I just thought I'd ask since I don't know if I'll see you again. And that sounded like a guilt trip but I promise it wasn't."

"It's okay," she said. "I'll message you when I've thought it over."

"Okay Becs. Sorry. Beca," she said, correcting herself. She stood up and gave them both an awkward wave goodbye.

Watching her walk out of the cafe, Beca felt something tugging at her chest.

What if she didn't see her again?

Her Mom said it was her decision, but what if she did decide she wanted a relationship with her, but her Mom abandoned her again?

Or what if she thought it over and decided she didn't want her Mom in her life?

This could be her last chance.

So why wasn't she doing anything about it?

"Becs, take a breath," Chloe said, softly. "What's going on?"

Beca just shook her head, the tightness in her chest getting worse.

Without warning she stood up from the table and ran out of the cafe into the parking lot.

She looked for her Mom's car but, of course, didn't know what it looked like.

 _I should have hugged her. She's going to leave again._

Chloe was at her side in seconds. "Becs, look at me," she said. "Talk to me."

"She's going to leave again," Beca said, running a hand through her hair and pacing back and forth. "I shouldn't have met with her. I shouldn't have done any of this. She's going to leave me again and I'm gonna get hurt."

Chloe put her hands on Beca's shoulders and stopped her pacing.

"Hey," she said. "Stop. Just breathe for now, okay?"

Beca nodded and tried to slow her breathing.

"I know you're freaked out. But you're in control of what's happening right now. If you want to see her again, you can see her again. If you don't, you don't," Chloe said, in a calm voice. "I can't promise she won't leave again, but from what I saw she seems pretty eager to be in your life. Just remember that you're in control."

Beca nodded again and Chloe pulled her into a hug.

"I don't want her to hurt me again," Beca said, her voice strained.

"I know," Chloe said, kissing the top of her head.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: I am so immensely** **sorry it has taken me so long to update. I have had a really stressful month, and I spent a large part of it pretty unwell. I'm better now, but my life is still a bit stressful at the minute so I can't promise updates will be more frequent. I'm also not really happy with how this chapter turned out, but I needed to move the time forward so I hope you all don't hate it.**

 **I have no right to beg for reviews but if you can find it in you to leave me one, I'll be super grateful.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters.**

* * *

Beca watched nervously as her dad looked at the sheet of paper that had her final grades on it.

High school was effectively over, they just had prom and then graduation. Then a final summer together before everyone went off to college.

Everyone except Beca that is.

Her dad sighed quietly before he smiled.

"You passed," he said, looking up from the paper. "Good job, Becs."

Beca let out a shaky sigh of relief and hugged him. A few months ago, he would have chewed her out for grades like this, but now he was just happy she'd passed. Her grades weren't strong enough to go to Barden, but she didn't care about that. She was just relieved she'd get to graduate with all her friends next week.

"So, now we should talk about what happens next," he said. "I'm gonna give you a year to figure out what you want to do. You don't have to get a job, but you can if you want to. You can work on your music or try and get an internship, or whatever you want. But don't waste it. At the end of the year, you'll either have a job, or you'll be applying for college." Beca opened her mouth to protest but her dad cut her off. "I know you don't want to go to college, but I don't want you to miss out on this opportunity. Deal?"

"Okay," Beca said. "Deal."

"I'm proud of you," he said, hugging her again.

"Thanks," she said, looking down at her grades again. She had worked hard for this. They all had. And tonight they were going to celebrate.

"Are you gonna tell your Mom?" He asked.

"Um, yeah I guess so," she said. It still felt weird hearing him talk about her.

"You guys are still talking?"

"We text every now and then, yeah," Beca said.

"Good," he said with a smile. "So, what time do you want me out of the house for tonight?" Her dad asked, returning to his coffee and newspaper.

"You don't have to leave the house," she said, "but people are gonna start arriving by seven."

"No, no, I know when I'm not wanted," he said with a wink.

"You're still going to Sheila's for a few days?" She asked.

"That's the plan," he said.

"Aren't you tired of doing the long distance thing?" She asked, after a small silence.

He shrugged. "It won't be forever. And she's worth all the effort it takes." He looked at her. "Why?"

"No reason," she said. "You're not worried she's gonna meet someone else? Someone better?"

"I'm shocked that you'd think there is a better man alive than me," he said, acting offended.

Beca laughed and shook her head.

"I trust her," he said. "And she trusts me. And you should trust Chloe."

Beca looked up and he gave her a knowing smile. "I do trust her," she said. "I know she'd never cheat or anything. But she's going to college. She's going to meet so many new people. What if she meets someone she likes better than me?" She'd never planned on voicing these worries to her dad, but she hadn't been able to stop herself. As soon as she'd gotten the text that morning from Chloe telling her she had gotten into Barden, she'd started worrying.

"Look, I'm not going to tell you that that isn't a possibility, because it is. She's going to a new place with a lot of new people. She's going to make a lot of new friends and have a lot of new experiences," he said.

"You aren't helping," Beca said with a groan.

"But I know Chloe loves you," he said, ignoring her interruption. "She really loves you, and I know you love her. I have absolute faith that you will both be fine. And remember, she's going to the college I work at, so I can always convince her professors to set her so much work that she won't have time to socialise," he added with another wink.

Beca laughed again. "That would be great, thanks."

Later that night, all her friends were gathered in her den talking excitedly about the future.

Beca's music was playing low in the background as they all just sat and talked.

"This summer is going to have to be awesome," Jesse said, taking a drink of beer he'd gotten his older brother to buy him. "It's our last summer of freedom. Our last one together."

"Jeez, Jess, you make it sound like we're dying," Aubrey said.

"I'm just saying, it's all gonna change when we go to college," he said.

"I mean, we're all going to Barden, apart from Beca. It's not like we're all spread across the country," Stacie said.

"Or maybe you're just lamenting that you won't be able to drink your shitty beer in my den?" Beca asked.

"Well if it's so shitty then I'll have that bottle back," he said, reaching to take it away from her.

"No," Beca said, drinking. "It's mine now."

The others laughed before they fell quiet again, all of them thinking about what was coming.

"You really don't think anything will change?" Jesse asked, looking around the room.

Chloe, who had been relatively quiet all night, squeezed Beca's hand a little tighter. She was sitting with her head on Beca's shoulder, one hand holding Beca's, the other stroking up and down Beca's arm.

"I think everything will change," Beca said, looking down at hers and Chloe's hands. She could feel a lump forming in her throat but she ignored it. "And…" she cleared her throat. "I'm gonna miss you guys. I'm gonna miss this."

"That's why we make this summer count," Jesse said. "Right?"

"Right," Benji said, nodding his head in agreement.

The others started talking about what they should do over the summer, and Beca squeezed Chloe's hand.

"We'll have to take a lot more pictures. I'm gonna need to create a whole new photo wall in my dorm room," Chloe said.

"Then we should start right now," Beca said, pulling out her phone and taking a quick selfie of the two of them. "I'm gonna need you to fill every inch of your walls with photographs of me. Just so everyone who goes in your room knows the score."

Chloe laughed. "Do you want me to wear an 'I love Beca' t-shirt too?"

"I mean I assumed those were the only t-shirts you owned." Beca said, causing Chloe to laugh more. "At least I know what to get you for a going away present now."

"You're such a weirdo," Chloe said laughing. The pair were unaware that the rest of the room had gone quiet to listen to them. "I want to spend every day of the next few weeks with you," Chloe said.

"Then that's what we'll do," Beca replied.

And so they did.

They spent a lot of time as a big group, but at the end of every hangout Beca and Chloe would go home together. Sometimes they'd go back to Beca's, sometimes to Chloe's, but they never slept alone that whole summer.

They would spend all day with their friends, and all night with each other.

"Do you think we're making it harder by doing this?" Chloe asked one night as they lay together, half tangled in their sheets.

"What do you mean?" Beca asked, tucking a strand of hair behind Chloe's ear.

"We're so used to being together all the time, isn't it going to make it harder when we have to be apart?"

"Maybe," Beca said, feeling the familiar gut-punch she got whenever she thought of Chloe not being there. "But I'd definitely regret not spending every second I could with you."

"Me too," Chloe said, leaning in to kiss her.

Beca could honestly say that that summer with Chloe and her friends was the best time of her life. If she hadn't had the black cloud of everyone leaving looming over her, she would have described it as perfect.

But every happy moment was tinged with sadness that it was all about to change. That they were all about to leave her.

On their last night together, Beca had cried quietly, staring up at the ceiling while Chloe slept next to her.

All of Chloe's clothes and the things she was taking with her were packed in boxes in her room. Even some of the photos from her wall had gone. Placed in some box for Chloe to put up in her new room.

"Please don't cry," Chloe whispered, reaching up to brush a tear from her cheek.

"I don't want you to leave me," Beca replied, choking on her words.

Chloe closed her eyes and forced herself to keep it together. "I'm scared too," she said. "I'm scared that I won't be able to handle the work load. I'm scared I won't get into the Bellas. I'm scared my eating will fall apart again. But I'm most afraid that I'll have to do it all without you." A tear slid down her cheek. "But I know you'll still be there for me. I know I can call you at anytime, and I know I'll still see you most weekends."

"Of course I'll be there for you," Beca said, wiping her eyes. "I'll be there anytime, day or night."

"And I'll be there for you too. I promise. You're not going to lose me," Chloe said.

"I just… I'm going to miss seeing you everyday," Beca said. "I'm going to miss sleeping next to you, and I'm going to miss waking up with you. I love you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too," Chloe said. She pulled Beca into a hug and held her tightly, fighting back her own tears as she felt Beca sob against her. "I love you more than I can say." She kissed Beca on the top of the head. "We can do this. I know we can."

The next morning, both Beca and Chloe did their best not to cry.

Beca managed to make it through breakfast, but Chloe started halfway through her cereal at the same time as her Mom.

"She isn't moving to France," Johnny said, trying desperately to lighten the mood as his Mom's and Chloe's crying had set the twins off.

Beca kept it together as she loaded up the last of Chloe's boxes into her truck. She would be driving Chloe while Chloe's Mom and dad would follow them.

She almost lost it when they were driving down the highway and Ed Sheeran's 'Castle on the Hill' started playing, but Chloe had managed to regain her composure by then, and she didn't want to set her off.

"I can't show up to my first day of college looking like I've spent the last 24 hours crying all the liquid out of me," she said, fixing her makeup.

"You remembered to pack your 'I love Beca' t-shirt right?"

"All ten of them," Chloe replied.

Beca had actually gotten her one as a joke, but she was planning to wear it anyway, even if it was just to sleep in.

All too soon, they arrived at the University and Beca and Chloe's parents helped her find her dorm and get all her stuff moved in.

Aubrey arrived not long after, her parents gave her a quick goodbye hug and left her to it. Beca wasn't sure what she expected from the Posens, but considering Chloe's Mom and dad were currently squeezing Chloe into the tightest hug she'd ever seen, it wasn't that.

"We're gonna meet up with Jesse and Benji outside their dorm and Stacie is coming later," Aubrey said, checking her phone. "Are you gonna come Beca?"

Beca looked at Chloe before shaking her head. "No, I'm gonna head back. It's high time you college kids started doing… college stuff."

"Beca," Chloe said softly. "You can still come hang out with us you know."

"I know," Beca said. "But not today. Someone might mistake me for a student and ask me a difficult question."

The people staying across the hall from them poked their heads in to say hello and both Beca and Chloe's parents decided this would be a good time to leave.

"I love you," Beca said as she hugged Chloe. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Chloe replied, her voice cracking.

"I'm a phone call away, okay?"

"Okay," Chloe said, trying to force the tears back. She let out a shaky breath. "Okay." Beca took that as her cue to let go.

As Chloe hugged her parents again, Beca gave Aubrey a hug goodbye.

"I'll look after her," Aubrey said, quietly.

"I know you will."

Beca made the drive home in silence. She couldn't bring herself to listen to any music, because she knew every song would remind her of Chloe. And she didn't want to start crying in the middle of the highway.

She got home and was greeted with more silence. Her dad would be at work for the rest of the day.

There was something painfully familiar about it all.

She clipped Jasper's leash onto his collar, and they walked together into the woods, down towards her clearing.

It had started getting colder, and she pulled her jacket tighter.

She reached her clearing and took a seat where she always did.

The silence settled around her like an old comfortable blanket.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it means so much to me that you guys understand I need to take a break every now and then :)**

 **Please keep reviewing, it really helps to keep me going.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

Chloe's first month at Barden seemed to fly by. It felt like one minute she was unpacking her boxes into her dorm room, and the next she was having a hood pulled over her head and being dragged to one of the University's auditoriums. When it was ripped off she saw she was standing with a bunch of other confused girls. Both Aubrey and Stacie were amongst them.

Out of the shadows stepped a girl in a pristine Bellas uniform, and Chloe almost squealed with excitement.

They were each handed a blue and yellow Bellas scarf and asked to repeat some… weird things about Treblemakers and wolves. It was all very dramatic, but Chloe didn't care. She had made it into the Bellas with her best friends, just like they'd always planned.

"Okay ladies," Alice, their leader, said as they walked into their first hood night party. "Try not to act like sluts tonight. Anyone caught treble-boning will be kicked out."

"I guess that oath was serious," Aubrey said, as she, Chloe and Stacie made their way through the party, looking for someone they knew.

"It's not gonna be easy to follow that rule," Stacie said, before gesturing to her junk. "He's a hunter."

"It creeps me out when you call it a dude," Aubrey said, with a shudder.

They saw Jesse frantically waving them over. "Bellas!" He yelled.

"How much has he had to drink?" Chloe asked, laughing as he stumbled over the benches to get to them.

"Guess who's in Treble?!" He said. "I'm one of those a cappella boys your mothers warned you about."

"Actually you're one of those Treblemaker's we're not allowed to talk to," Chloe said, laughing. "We just swore an oath."

"Well that's lame," he said, frowning. "Did you swear this oath too Aubrey?"

"I'm afraid so," she said.

"Well I'm gonna go find Benji. He didn't swear an oath not to hang out with me," Jesse said, before he stormed off dramatically.

"I guess Benji's a Treble too," Aubrey said, spotting him in the crowd.

"So… No Treble-boning allowed, huh? How do you feel about that?" Chloe asked as they made themselves drinks. She hadn't drunk much since she'd been at college, but she had discovered that she hated beer and loved vodka with cranberry juice.

"What do you mean?" Aubrey asked, sticking with just soda. She hadn't taken to the whole drunken part of college. She had far too much work to do, and someone had to keep an eye on Chloe.

"Come on," Chloe said, grinning. "I know you and Jesse like each other."

Aubrey blushed. She looked behind her to make sure he wasn't in ear-shot. "I just think he's nice," she said.

"Ah ha," Stacie replied. "Sure. And Chloe and Beca are just good friends."

"Shut up," Aubrey said, laughing.

"Have you guys even talked about it?" Chloe asked.

Aubrey bit her lip and grinned. "We… We've discussed it. Before college started."

"And?" Stacie asked.

"We may be going on a date," she said, blushing furiously again. Chloe and Stacie both squealed in excitement. "A secret date!" She added, looking around in case Alice was nearby. "A very low key secret date that is no where near this campus."

"Oh my god this is so exciting!" Chloe said, clapping her hands. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well you and Beca were in your little bubble before college," Aubrey said. "Which is fine. I just didn't want to… interrupt it."

"You'd never be interrupting," she said, feeling guilty. She'd promised herself she wouldn't neglect their friendship after the last time, and she hated thinking she'd done it again.

"It's okay," Aubrey said. "We didn't want to make it a big deal."

"So what will you guys do now?" Stacie asked. "Alice looked pretty serious about the oath."

"I guess we'll just keep it a secret," Aubrey said. "I'll talk to him about it. He isn't the best at being subtle."

The girls carried on talking and drinking and soon found themselves dancing and singing with all the other a cappella people. Chloe was happy. She was having fun. She was having the college experience she'd dreamed about. And she didn't feel the vibrating of her phone in her pocket.

* * *

 _"_ _Hi! Sorry I can't come to the phone right now! Leave a message!"_

Chloe's chirpy answerphone message rang out of Beca's phone.

"Hey Chlo', I just wanted to say that I hope you're okay and that you're having fun. I saw Jesse's picture of all of you on Instagram so I wanted to say well done for getting into the Bellas. Just give me a call or text when you get this. Love you."

Beca ended the call and lay back down in bed. She looked back at the picture Jesse had posted. Aubrey, Stacie, and Chloe were all in front, grinning broadly. Jesse and Benji were behind them. They were all squashed together, trying to fit into the photo. All laughing at something one of them had said. The caption read 'a cappella nerds know how to party! #bardenbellas #treblemakers #acapellanewbies'

She scrolled through some more of his photos. There was one of him and Benji, posing in front of their Star Wars themed dorm room. Another of the two boys eating enormous burgers at a diner. A lot of the whole group either at diners or at parties or just hanging out together on campus. She was glad to see Chloe looking happily on all of them. She put her phone down on her chest and closed her eyes.

She missed them. Not just Chloe, but all her friends. Even before she'd gotten close to Chloe, Jesse and Benji were always there to drag her places. Now it was just her.

Chloe had been home to visit two weekends out of the four she'd been away, but she'd been busy catching up with her parents that Beca had only seen her for a night each time. She looked well. Tired but happy.

In the beginning they'd Skyped every night and had texted constantly, but once Chloe started getting busier with work and preparing for her Bellas audition, the texts and skype sessions became less frequent. And Beca wasn't angry, she just missed her. Chloe had spent most of her teenage life dreaming of going to Barden and joining the Bellas, and now she was there Beca didn't want to interrupt it.

So for now, she was content with the sporadic texts she got and the pictures they posted on social media.

She tried to keep herself busy. She had set up her desk and mixing equipment in the den and spent most of her day in there making music. Her plan was to work for a few months really perfecting her music and finding her sound before she started applying for jobs at record labels.

The trouble was, there was only one in Barden, and it happened to be the hardest one to get into. Residual Heat had produced some of Beca's favourite albums, and she was desperate to go and work there.

She wasn't sure when her dream of moving to L.A. to work had changed to staying in Barden and working at Residual Heat, but she assumes it had something to do with Chloe.

She didn't even remember making the decision not the move this year, but when she was researching record labels, she had all but skimmed past the ones in L.A.

Her phone buzzed on her chest and her heart leapt, thinking it might be Chloe.

 **Dad: Sheila and I forgot our keys can you come let us in?**

Oh yeah, that had happened too. Sheila had moved in about a week ago, and Beca was glad. She liked Sheila, and it meant her dad wasn't away for days or weeks at a time.

She went downstairs to let them in.

"Thanks Becs, we didn't want to knock because Jasper would wake the whole neighbourhood up," he said.

"How was the movie?" Beca asked.

"Pretty good," her Dad said, helping Sheila out of her coat before taking his own off. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much," she said.

"Did you Skype Chloe?" Sheila asked.

"She, um, she had her Bellas initiation party tonight so we didn't get to," Beca said. "We're gonna try tomorrow." In truth, Beca had had no idea Chloe was at a party until she saw Jesse's picture. She had sent her a few texts asking if they were still on for Skype, but hand't gotten a reply. "I'm gonna head back to bed. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

They both said goodnight and Beca headed back to bed.

It was only 10pm, and she felt lame pulling on her pyjamas at this time. But there was nothing else for her to do, so she crawled into bed and tried to fall asleep. She put one of her mellow playlists on her phone, and tried not to cry as every song made her think about Chloe.

The rest of the month carried on like that. Chloe's texts became more and more infrequent, and she hadn't been home for weeks. Beca wondered if Chloe would be home for her birthday on Halloween, but she assumed she wouldn't.

She knew there was a big University Halloween party happening the Saturday before Halloween on campus, and that Chloe and the others would probably want to go to it. She knew they'd all be too tired and hungover to want to travel all the way home for a few hours the day after. She didn't mind. She had never liked having a big fuss on her birthday.

She was right.

She woke up at around 11am on her birthday to a phone full of text messages.

She smiled as she replied to them all, spending a little longer replying to Chloe's.

 **Chloe: I hate that I'm missing your birthday xxx**

 **Beca: I know you do, but it's okay. You've got a lot of stuff on and from what I've seen on Facebook last night was a crazy party xxx**

 **Chloe: God, I'm so hungover I never want to go to a party again. You should have come, Beca. I missed you xxx**

A few days before they had finally managed to Skype each other. Chloe had begged her to come to the party the university was throwing, but Beca hadn't wanted to.

 **Beca: I'm sorry I wasn't there, but you know I'm not big on crowds and stuff. I miss you too xxx**

Her dad knocked on her door before opening it.

"Hey Becs, Sheila and I are gonna take you out for lunch," he said.

"Why?"

"It's your birthday," he said.

"Sheila still hasn't gotten used to our low-key vibe has she?"

"No," he said. "She's determined to make us a proper family. Happy Birthday by the way."

"Thanks," she said. "I should probably get dressed then." She looked down at her phone once her dad had left and saw that Chloe had text her again.

 **Chloe: Did you get your present? xxx**

 **Beca: Nope. I guess it will arrive tomorrow since there's no mail on Sundays? xxx**

 **Chloe: Damn, I paid extra to make sure it would reach you by today xxx**

 **Beca: I told you not to get anything for my birthday. You're a poor student, you need to save your cash. I gotta go, I need to get dressed my dad and Sheila are taking me out for lunch xxx**

 **Chloe: Yeah I gotta go too. I need a nap before rehearsal. Love you xxx**

 **Beca: Love you too xxx**

Beca got dressed and headed downstairs. Her dad and Sheila were sitting at the kitchen table, a couple of cards and a present were waiting for her.

"Happy Birthday!" Sheila said before squeezing Beca into a hug.

"Thanks," Beca said, still not used to Sheila's happy, loving, personality.

"You wanna open these now or wait?" Her dad asked.

"I guess I'll open them now," she said. She opened the first card and a $50 note slid out.

 _'_ _To Beca, Happy Birthday! Love Mom xx'_

Beca had to re-read it to make sure it was real. Her thumb brushed over the hand-written 'Mom'. They had similar handwriting.

"Bec?"

"It's from my…" She cleared her throat. "It's from my Mom."

"Oh," her dad said, sitting back in his chair. "Well, good. It's about time you got some birthday cards from her."

"Yeah," Beca said, closing it and putting it back on the table. "I guess."

She opened another one from Chloe's parents which made her smile. Robbie and Aliza had clearly written their own names at the bottom. She'd have to remember to tell Chloe to thank them for her.

The third card was from her dad and Sheila.

She felt a small pang when she realised none of her friends had sent her a card, but then she figured that's what texting and Facebook was for, so she pushed it out of her mind.

She opened the present, which was a new mixing board from her dad and Sheila.

"Oh cool!" She said looking it over.

"It's the right one right?" Her dad asked.

"Yeah," Beca said. "This is awesome, thank you guys so much."

"You're welcome," her dad said, smiling. He checked his watch. "Ooh, we should get going."

They piled into her dad's car who drove them to Beca's favourite restaurant.

She tried to be happy as they ate and talked, but she was aware that her smile kept slipping. She missed Chloe. Really missed her. She had hoped that she'd see her today, since it had been a few weeks since she'd been home.

She noticed her dad kept checking his phone throughout the lunch, and seemed distracted when he was asked if they wanted a dessert menu.

"Huh? Dessert?" He checked his watch again. "Sure."

He kept ordering more drinks for them, even after Beca insisted she was full to bursting, and eventually paid the bill and left, a whole two and a half hours later.

When they got back to the house, Beca was so full and tired she wanted to take a nap, but her dad sent her into the den to grab a dvd.

"But I don't want to watch a movie," Beca moaned.

"Just get it please," he said.

She walked into the den and was hit by a shout of "Surprise!"

"Holy shit!" She shouted, jumping three feet in the air. "What the hell guys?!"

Chloe, Aubrey, Jesse, Stacie, Benji, and Fat Amy were all standing there, laughing at Beca's reaction. There were balloons everywhere and a Happy Birthday banner.

"Happy Birthday!" They shouted before she was pulled into an enormous group hug.

"You guys gave me a heart attack," she said, when they pulled away. "What are you all doing here?"

"Well we filled your house with balloons and shouted surprise, so I guess we're here for a root canal," Fat Amy said, rolling her eyes. "Why do you think we're here birthday girl?"

"No but you all have class tomorrow," Beca said, looking at them, still in shock.

"We can drive back up tonight," Jesse said.

"I… I don't know what to say," Beca said, laughing.

"Do you really think we would have missed your birthday?" Chloe asked, speaking for the first time. She sounded quieter than usual. And she looked a little tired. "Since you wouldn't come to the party last night, we brought it to you."

"But with much less alcohol and fewer costumes," Stacie said. "And less," she gestured to her chest, "cleavage on display."

"The afternoon is young," Jesse said with a wink. "This party could get wild."

They all laughed but for now, Beca only had eyes for Chloe.

"Told you I'd get your present to you on time," Chloe said, handing her a small package. Beca opened it and laughed when an t-shirt with 'I love Chloe' written on it fell out. Chloe unzipped her jacket and Beca saw she was wearing her 'I love Beca' t-shirt. "I also got you this," she said, before pulling her into a kiss.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: I'm so sorry this has taken so long, and I'm sorry that this is sort of another filler-ish chapter but I promise stuff will actually start happening soon. I don't really have any excuses other than I've been super tired and a little stressed lately.**

 **I feel bad begging for reviews but I would really really appreciate it.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

"So… how are you?" Beca asked Chloe after she'd made the rounds of all her friends, thanking them for coming.

"Good," Chloe said. "Tired but good. You?"

"Fine," Beca said. "I've been fine." She didn't know why she sounded so formal. Maybe it was because this was the first time she'd properly seen Chloe in weeks. She could think of a million things she wanted to say, but she couldn't quite get them out. She felt like everything she wanted to say was unimportant and pointless, so she didn't say anything. "I've missed you," she said eventually.

"Yeah, I've missed you too Becs," Chloe said. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. I'm sorry I haven't been home much. It's just been so crazy with the Bellas and all the classes and reading and stuff."

"But you're okay right?"

"I'm fine," Chloe said. Her voice sounded a little strained. As if she was tired of answering that question.

Beca nodded and looked down at her hands, watching as she absentmindedly picking the chipped black nail polish off her thumb. _Have we really run out of things to say to each other already?_ she thought.

"Have you got any new mixes for me to listen to?" Chloe asked, trying to break the silence.

"Oh, sure," Beca said. "I'll put them on a USB for you." She stood up and went over to her desk and began rummaging through the drawers for a USB stick.

She didn't realise Chloe had followed her, and jumped slightly when she felt the hand on her back. She had started to forget what it was like being around Chloe in person. She'd forgotten all the little ways Chloe liked to show affection. And she missed them.

"You aren't going to play them?" She asked, watching as Beca loaded the stick with new songs.

Beca shook her head. "They're not… party songs."

Chloe's eyes roamed over Beca's desk, surprised at how organised it was. She smiled at the framed picture of her and Beca which sat beside her monitor.

"Here you go," Beca said, handing it over. "Let me know what you think."

"Have you sent any of your stuff out there yet?" Chloe asked.

"No," Beca said, "no they're not ready yet. They're nowhere near good enough."

"You're kidding right? Beca, your stuff is amazing," Chloe said in disbelief.

Beca smiled but shook her head. "They're not ready."

All too soon her friends were yawning and stretching and pulling on jackets.

They all exchanged hugs and "see you soon"s and started heading for their cars.

Chloe hung back.

"I really have missed you," she said, standing in front of Beca and holding both her hands.

"I've missed you too," Beca said, afraid she was about to cry.

"I haven't been a very good girlfriend lately," Chloe said. Beca opened her mouth to argue but Chloe shook her head. "I haven't. I… I want to do better. You deserve better."

"Baby, it's okay," Beca said, letting go of Chloe's hands so she could brush a strand of Chloe's hair from her face. "I get it. You've got, like, a million things going on right now. You don't have to worry about me."

"Yes I do," Chloe said. "Of course I do. You're my girlfriend and I love you."

"I love you too," Beca said. "I'm just saying you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself. Just, you know, give me a text every now and then and that'll be enough for me."

Chloe laughed but she still looked like she wanted to cry, so Beca pulled her into a hug.

"You could stay tonight, if you wanted. I could drive you back in the morning," she said.

"I can't," Chloe said. "I have a rehearsal at like 8:30 tomorrow morning, and then classes for the rest of the day."

"Okay," Beca said, trying to hide her disappointment. "You should probably go before Aubrey starts honking her horn."

"Yeah," Chloe said, "I probably should."

"Thank you for coming," Beca said. "It really means a lot that you guys came down to see me." She gave Chloe a quick kiss. "I'll see you soon, yeah?"

"Yeah," Chloe said. "Of course."

They hugged and kissed one last time before Chloe left and climbed into Aubrey's car. They all waved out of the window and Beca watched them drive away, feeling the familiar sickness in her stomach return.

After they turned the corner and disappeared from view, Beca closed her front door.

She went back to the den and started to tidy up.

"We can do this," her dad said as she came into the kitchen with her arms full of glasses. "It's your birthday, you should go and have fun."

"It's fine," Beca said, loading glasses into the dishwasher. She didn't bother asking her dad who she was supposed to be having fun with.

"Did you have a nice time?" Sheila asked.

"Yeah," Beca said, though she wasn't really sure she had. She had been happy to see them all, and she'd liked listening to their college stories, and she had missed them all a lot. But there had been a lot of inside jokes, and whenever they'd asked her what she'd been up to she hadn't had anything to say. And Chloe… Things felt different with Chloe. She had seemed tired and stressed and not herself.

"Bec?"

"Yeah?" Beca said, snapping out of her thoughts.

"I said we'll tidy up," her dad said. "Go enjoy the rest of your birthday."

She opened her mouth to argue but her dad shook his head so she sighed and left. She trudged upstairs to her room and dropped down onto her bed.

How was she supposed to enjoy what was left of her birthday? She couldn't go anywhere or see anyone. She pulled out her phone and took a picture of herself wearing her new 'I love Chloe' t-shirt with a sad face.

She sent it to Chloe with the caption 'Miss you already xxx'

* * *

Chloe's phone buzzed in her pocket, and she smiled when she pulled it out.

 **Chloe: I miss you too xxx**

She saved the picture, making a mental note to print it out at her next opportunity.

Her smile slipped as she thought about how quiet Beca had been. She wondered if anyone else had noticed

"So, did you think Beca seemed a little… off?" She asked as they drove down the highway.

"Off how?" Aubrey asked, frowning.

"She just seemed quieter," Chloe said.

"She's always been quiet," Stacie said from the back seat.

"Not like this," Chloe said. "She doesn't usually say much, but when she does it's always something funny or sarcastic. She just seemed sad."

"I'm sure she's fine Chlo'," Aubrey said, glancing away from the road to look at Chloe. "She probably just misses you."

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I guess." But to Chloe it felt like something more. Beca had seemed like the Beca she'd first met. The Beca who didn't speak unless she was asked a question. Who sat by herself at parties. Who seemed… sad.

She reached into her pocket and held onto the USB Beca had given her. Whatever she had been feeling the past few months would be written in these songs.

As soon as they got back to their dorm room, Chloe grabbed her laptop and plugged the USB in, tapping a hand on her thigh impatiently as she waited for them to download.

"Stacie and the others are going to grab some food, do you wanna go?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe shook her head, plugging her headphones into her laptop. "I ate at Beca's."

"Okay," Aubrey said."Do you mind if I go?"

"Of course not," Chloe said, tearing her eyes away from her screen to smile at Aubrey. "I'm gonna have an early night anyway."

"I'll try not to wake you when I get back then," Aubrey said. She hesitated before leaving. "I know you're worried about Beca, but I'm sure she's fine."

"Yeah," Chloe said, "I know. Go on, you're gonna be late."

Aubrey left and Chloe changed into her pyjamas before climbing into bed and pressing play on the first new song.

She didn't move for the next hour and a half.

She had been right.

If her music was anything to go by, Beca was sad. And lonely. And Chloe couldn't help but feel like it was her fault. By the third song, tears had already reached Chloe's neck. When she heard Beca's cover of _Heart's Don't Break Around Here_ by Ed Sheeran, she broke down completely. It was the first time she'd really heard Beca sing, and it was so beautiful and heartbreaking and so different to anything Beca had done before, that she couldn't hold it together.

She pulled out her phone and called her.

"Hello?" Beca's voice was raspy and Chloe realised she must have woken her up.

"Hey," Chloe said, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. "Did I wake you?"

"What time is it?" Beca said, clearing her throat. "Is it only 10? Jeez, that's embarrassing. No, you didn't wake me, I was up partying."

Chloe laughed and closed her eyes. She could picture Beca as clearly as if she was there. She would be sitting up in bed, her legs crossed. Her hair would be messy and her eyes would be half shut. Chloe felt an ache inside as she thought about how much she wished she was there.

She wanted to be able to rest her hand on Beca's back as she always did when Beca woke during the night. She wanted to ease her back down onto her pillow, and pull the blanket back around them. She wanted to brush the hair from her face, and lean in to kiss her. She wanted it so bad it was painful.

"Chlo'? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, wiping her eyes. "Yeah I'm fine. I just finished listening to your new stuff."

"And it was so bad it made you cry?"

Chloe laughed again. "No," she said. "No it was beautiful. It was so beautiful I had to tell you. And… And I'm sorry, Beca."

"Sorry for what?" Beca asked, clearly concerned now.

"I've not been there for you like I promised I would. But I'm going to do better. I promise I'm going to do better," she said.

"Hey," Beca said softly. "I told you, you're doing fine Chlo'. I'm not mad or upset with you or any of those things. I understand."

"But," Chloe said, her voice breaking, "you're sad."

She heard Beca sigh, and she knew she'd have her eyes closed and would be pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, I am," Beca said quietly. "But that isn't your fault. It's just… I got so used to you being here. And I just miss you. But it isn't your fault, okay?"

"Okay," Chloe said, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for calling and," she swallowed, unable to keep the tears back, "and… I'm going to do better."

"Chloe," Beca said, her voice firm. "Do you need me to come down there?"

 _Yes,_ Chloe thought. "No," she said. "No I'm fine, Becs. I just miss you. And I'm worried about you."

"You don't need to worry," Beca said. Chloe could hear the sheets rustling and she knew Beca would be lying back down. "I'll be okay, I promise. You just need to look after yourself, okay?"

"Okay," Chloe said, lying down too.

"I'm sorry my songs made you cry," Beca said.

Chloe laughed and wiped her eyes. "They really were beautiful, Becs."

"I love you, you know?"

"I love you too," Chloe replied, closing her eyes again. "I don't want to hang up."

"Then don't," Beca said.

When Aubrey got back later that night, she saw Chloe fast asleep with her phone on the pillow beside her. She didn't know it, but an hour down the road Beca was lying in the same position, their phones still connected.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I have no excuses other than I've been super tired and stressed and haven't had the time and energy to write.**

 **I hope this was worth the wait. Please please please review.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

For the next few weeks things did get a little better between the two girls.

They texted and Skyped a lot more, and Chloe even made it home for a weekend. Beca had gone to pick her up on the Friday evening and didn't leave Chloe's house until the Sunday night when she took her back to college.

Things got better, and for the first time since Chloe had left for college, Beca felt like maybe they'd be okay. That she'd be okay.

That feeling lasted until a few weeks before Chloe's Christmas vacation.

The Barden Bellas and the Treblemakers and the other a cappella groups from Barden University were putting on a small show. It was a warm up to their bigger Christmas show, and Beca had agreed to go along and watch.

She stood with Fat Amy in a crowd of drunk students as the a cappella groups faced off.

Once again, Beca was blown away by the Trebles. Vocally they were no better than the other groups, but their choice of songs and their energy and choreography put them leaps ahead. Not that Beca would have admitted that to Chloe.

In comparison, the Bellas were good, solid even, but they felt safe. Beca felt like she was watching the exact same performance she had seen the year before. But she still felt a swell of pride when she saw Chloe up there singing with the rest in her pristine uniform, and her heart almost burst when Chloe sang her solo. She cheered louder than anyone when the Bellas took a bow.

"You were awesome!" Beca said, hugging Chloe when she came to join the group.

"I was terrible," Chloe replied with a huff of frustration.

"What?" Beca asked. "Babe, you were amazing." She looked around at the others, waiting for them to back her up.

"I thought you guys crushed it," Jesse said.

"You were fine Chloe," Aubrey said, looking equally despondent. "I was the one who screwed up."

"What are you guys talking about?" Beca asked.

"Alice gave us a post-show pep talk," Stacie said. "Only it wasn't very… peppy."

"What did she say?" Benji asked.

"She just told us where we went wrong," Aubrey said.

"Speak of the devil," Stacie muttered.

"Bellas!" Came Alice's too chirpy voice from behind them. They turned around and saw her staring at them, one hand on her hip with a way too bright smile. "I just wanted to let you know that there is an 8:30am rehearsal booked in tomorrow. And anyone hungover will be made to do laps. After that disastrous performance, we have a lot of work to do."

Stacie groaned but Chloe and Aubrey just nodded.

"Hey, what's your deal?" Beca asked as Alice turned away. "Why are you being such a dick to these guys?"

"Beca," Chloe said with a groan. "It's fine, leave it."

"Oh, you must be Chloe's girlfriend," Alice said, her smile growing. "What is it you're studying again?"

"I'm not," Beca replied.

"Oh yes I remember now, you're the one who decided to just work on their music all day instead of going to college," she said. "Chloe played us some of your stuff once. I'm sure if you like that sort of thing it's very good."

"Why are you being so hard on them?" Beca asked, ignoring the dig.

"Because, unlike you Beca, I'm a winner. And I want them to be winners too," she said. "I'll see you three bright and early tomorrow. And Chloe, maybe we should talk about who might be able to take over your solo. You know, since you feel I'm working you too hard." She gave another smile and wave. "Oh, and Beca? This is actually a college party, so, you know, maybe you should go."

Chloe turned and stormed away from the group, tears burning in her eyes.

"Chloe!" Beca called running to catch up to her. "Chloe, wait."

"I told you to leave it," Chloe said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"But she was being a jerk to you guys," Beca said. "I couldn't let her talk to you like that."

"Yes you could!" Chloe said. "You don't have to fight all my battles for me, Beca. I can take care of myself. I know how to handle Alice. You smile, you nod, you don't complain, and she gives you solos!"

"Look, I'm sorry she took your solo from you, but I'm not the type of girl who just stands by while her girlfriend gets treated like shit," Beca said, trying not to match Chloe's volume.

"She's just pushing us to be better. We aren't going to win any competitions with performances like that," Chloe said. "And thanks to you, I'll just be in the background while someone else does my solo."

"I said I was sorry! I was just trying to help you!"

"Well next time don't!" Chloe said, snapping.

"Right," Beca said. "Got it."

She turned and walked away before Chloe could see her crying.

"Where are you going?" Chloe said.

"I don't want to fight with you, Chloe," Beca replied. "I'm just gonna go home." She didn't get very far before she felt Chloe pulling her hand.

"Wait," she said, pulling her to a stop. "Don't… Don't leave."

"Chlo'," Beca said, her voice resigned, "I can't… I can't handle an argument right now. I'm so fucking… tired. I'm tired, and I'm lonely. And you're mad at me."

"We're not arguing," Chloe said, trying not to cry. "We're not fighting. We're just talking now. And I'm not mad at you." Beca looked at her like she didn't believe her. "I'm not mad," she said again. "I didn't mean to yell it's just everything is so hard at the minute. I have rehearsals every day and I have so many books to read and papers to write and it's all just piling up," she said. "And I shouldn't be lashing out at you."

Beca sighed. "It's okay," she said, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry if I overstepped a line or something. I'm sorry I upset you."

"It wasn't your fault," Chloe said. "I'm sorry I yelled, you were just trying to help me."

Beca kept rubbing her hand up and down Chloe's back as the redhead clung to her. All the anger and frustration she had felt moments ago was draining away from her.

"I didn't mean what I said. I'm glad you're in my corner," Chloe said.

"I'm always gonna be in your corner, Chlo'. I've always got your back," Beca replied, ending their hug so she could kiss her on the head. "I love you. So, so much."

"I love you too," Chloe replied with a sniff. "Can you stay tonight? Please?"

"Of course," Beca said. "Do you want to go back to the others?"

Chloe shook her head. "Can we just go?"

"Sure," Beca said. She held Chloe's hand and the pair walked back to Chloe's room.

Beca sent a text to her dad saying she wouldn't be home until tomorrow before changing into a pair of Chloe's pyjamas. Chloe sent a text to Aubrey saying she'd gone back to their room and that Beca was staying with her.

They curled up together in Chloe's single bed and were content to just hold each other for a while.

Beca's hand brushed slowly up and down Chloe's side, while Chloe was tracing the outline of Beca's face, as if feeling each curve and line would help her remember it better.

Beca wasn't sure if she was imaging it, but she thought she could feel Chloe's ribs more prominently than she had before.

"That tickles," Chloe muttered, sleepily.

"Sorry," Beca replied, bringing her hand to a stop so it just rested on her hip. "I'm sorry I lost you your solo."

"It's okay," Chloe said, her hand came to a stop resting on Beca's neck, her thumb still brushing Beca's jawline. "To be honest, I kinda hated that song anyway. I mean Eternal Flame? Is this the 90's? Are we back in high school music class singing one of Ms Banks' approved school appropriate songs?" Beca laughed, relieved Chloe wasn't still mad at her.

"I think Eternal Flame came out in the 80's," Beca said, still laughing. "But point well made."

"I don't need your encyclopaedic knowledge of music right now," Chloe said, smiling at the sound of Beca's laugh.

"You love my encyclopaedic knowledge," Beca said. "It's the thing that you find sexiest about me."

"You know what you might be right," Chloe said, smirking. She moved her head closer to Beca's, resting their foreheads together. "I really am sorry I snapped at you."

"It's okay," Beca said, moving her hand from Chloe's hip to brush a strand of her hair out of her face. "I'm sorry I made it seem like I didn't think you could handle yourself."

"Are we just gonna keep saying sorry all night?" Chloe said, grinning. "I feel like we're wasting valuable make-out time."

"I feel like Aubrey would flay me alive if she walked in on that," Beca said.

"Good point," Chloe said. "But I'm pretty sure she'd knock first."

"Do you guys have a system?" Beca asked, smirking. "One of you puts a tie on the door when you've got company and the other knows to stay clear?"

"Totally," Chloe replied. "But considering this is the first time you're staying in my dorm room, and Aubrey is too scared to even stand close to Jesse in case she gets kicked out of the Bellas, we haven't had much call to use it."

"Well," Beca said, moving closer so their lips were practically touching, "I guess we should test it out."

A few hours later, Aubrey tentatively knocked on their door before putting the key in the lock and opening it.

Beca and Chloe were asleep on Chloe's bed, their limbs so tangled she wasn't sure which ones belonged to which girl.

Not wanting to disturb them, she quietly grabbed some pyjamas, her work-out clothes for the next day, and her toothbrush before leaving, texting Stacie as she went to say she was on her way. She wanted to give the two girls as much alone time as possible, because she knew how much they missed each other.

Beca woke with a start the next morning.

She felt Chloe pulling away from her quickly and heard a string of muttered swear words.

"Shit shit shit shit," Chloe cursed, rushing around the room.

Beca opened her eyes and saw it was 8:25am. She rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself up, but her eyes struggled to stay open.

The bed dipped as Chloe sat on it, pulling on shoes.

She rubbed her eyes again. She didn't know if Chloe wanted her to leave the room. But then Chloe kissed her on the head.

"Go back to sleep Becs," she said. "Meet me for lunch, yeah? There's a Subway around the corner."

"Mmhmm," Beca replied, but Chloe had already left the room.

She slept for another couple of hours before showering in Chloe's tiny en-suite and pulling on her clothes. She borrowed some underwear and a hoody from Chloe and headed out to meet her for lunch.

She checked her phone as she reached Subway and frowned at the message she'd received.

 **Chloe: Can't make lunch, sorry. Stuck here for the rest of the day :( xxx**

 **Beca: That sucks. You can't come and meet me for like 15 minutes? I'll bring you a sandwich xxx**

 **Chloe: Okay, meet me outside the auditorium xxx**

Beca got there to see Chloe already waiting outside. She looked exhausted, and gave her a weak smile when she spotted her walking over.

"Hey," Beca said, handing over her sandwich. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, taking the sandwich but not unwrapping it. "I was late so Alice made me do laps." Beca opened her mouth to express her outrage but Chloe cut her off. "It's fine, Becs. I'm fine."

"I just don't want you to get overworked," Beca said. "I'm worried about you."

"You don't need to worry," Chloe said, leaning across and kissing her on the cheek. "I'm fine. I can handle this. I have to get back in there. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Beca said, frowning slightly. "Promise me you'll eat that."

Chloe looked down at the sandwich as if she'd just realised she was holding it.

"Yeah," Chloe said, "I'll eat it." She stood up. "Um, thank you for getting me this."

"It's fine'," Beca said, "but… promise me you'll eat it. You didn't eat breakfast."

"I promise," Chloe said. She gave Beca a quick kiss. "I'll text you."

"Okay," Beca said. "I love you."

"Love you too," Chloe said.

She headed back into the auditorium where the rest of the Bellas were eating their lunches. Aubrey was busy talking to Stacie and hadn't notice her come back in. No one had notice her come back in. And no one noticed her drop the sandwich into the trash.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: I know it's been a really long time. I'm sorry it's taken so long. I've had a pretty stressful few months and I've found writing really hard. I hope this was worth the wait and I hope you'll leave some comments or reviews.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

 **Beca: Hey Chlo'. Haven't heard from you in a few days. Give me a text or a call when you get this xx**

 **Beca: Hey. Me again. I miss you xx**

 **Beca: Can you please reply? I'm kinda going crazy here xx**

 **Beca: Please, just tell me what's going on? It's been like two weeks. Did I do something? xx**

Beca threw her phone to the end of her bed with a huff of frustration. She'd been texting Chloe at least once a day for the last two weeks but she hadn't had a single response. She hadn't heard from Chloe since the last time she'd seen her, after their fight or whatever it had been.

She was going crazy.

Chloe wasn't answering texts, Skype messages, facebook messages, phone calls. Beca knew she must seem desperate but she didn't care. She was worried. Worried that Chloe wasn't looking after herself. Worried… Worried that she didn't want her anymore.

She'd called and text Aubrey and Jesse a few times, but neither of them had seen much of Chloe over the past few weeks.

"She just comes back to the dorm to sleep," Aubrey had told her, sounding as stressed as she felt. "She's always either in the library, the gym, or at rehearsal. She hardly speaks to me anymore." Aubrey had sounded close to tears.

She'd even called Chloe's parents, just to see if they'd heard from her. They hadn't. They were worried too.

Beca was so stressed out by it all that she'd even turned to her Mom for advice.

"Why don't you just drive down there?" Her Mom had said, over the phone.

"Because what if she doesn't want to see me?" Beca had replied, her stomach hurting at the thought.

"Well, I hate to say it Becs, but if she doesn't want to see you maybe you shouldn't be together," her Mom said. "I mean, she isn't answering your texts or calls or anything."

Beca pulled a face. "Why am I not surprised that your advise is to end the relationship?"

"I didn't say that," her Mom said with a sigh. "I'm just saying that from everything you've told me, it doesn't seem like this relationship is working."

"Our relationship is fine, Mom," Beca said. "I love her."

"I know, sweetie. But does she love you?"

After the phone call ended, Beca relayed everything her Mom had said to her dad, in the hope that he would offer some better advice.

Instead he had glanced at Sheila and said, "I hate to admit it but I think your Mom is right."

Beca left the room and went back upstairs, closing the door behind her and dropping onto her bed. She checked her phone and was unsurprised to find no new texts or calls.

Tears began pricking at her eyes. She wiped them quickly when she heard a knock at her door.

"Come in," she said.

The door opened and Sheila entered. Jasper squeezed past her and jumped onto Beca's bed and then sat on her lap.

"Hi," Beca said.

Sheila took a seat on Beca's desk chair and studied her through her glasses. She seemed stern. As if Beca was one of her pupils who she was disappointed with.

Beca didn't know where to look or what to say, so she busied herself scratching Jasper behind the ear.

"When did you last work on your music, Beca?" Sheila asked, eventually.

"Uh… I dunno, a few days ago?" Beca asked, surprised by the question.

Sheila raised her eyebrows.

"Okay… A week ago I guess," Beca said. Sheila still didn't say anything. "Why are you asking?"

"You haven't worked on anything in about two weeks," Sheila said.

"How do you know?"

"Because I pay attention to what you do and you haven't even been in your den since you last saw Chloe," Sheila said.

"Okay… and this is bad because?"

"Because for the last two weeks you've shut yourself in your room every day. Whenever you join us for dinner you just sit and stare at your phone, waiting for Chloe to text you back. You're supposed to be making demos to send out to record labels, yes?"

"I'm just taking some time off," Beca said.

"Sitting and waiting for her to text you isn't healthy, Beca. None of this is good for you," Sheila said, softening slightly.

"I… I just… I miss her," Beca said, terrified she was going to start crying. "And I don't know what to do."

"Well… I think you need to go and see her. You need to know where you stand," Sheila said.

"What if she breaks up with me?" Beca asked.

"Then she breaks up with you," Sheila said. "I know you're going to hate me for saying this but you're only 19, Beca. And I know it'll hurt, but you'll come through it. You can't go on like this."

Beca nodded, but she could already feel her heart breaking. The idea of not being Chloe's girlfriend anymore was more than she could stand.

"I'll drive up tomorrow," she said.

* * *

Chloe was not coping well.

Since the incident with the subway sandwich, she'd found it harder and harder to eat, and easier and easier to skip meals.

Aubrey would leave before her every morning because her classes started at 8am. She would leave Chloe some fruit or a power bar or something for breakfast. And Chloe would throw it in the trash on her way to class. She felt guilty, but it was easier than actually eating it.

Lunch was also easy to skip. Aubrey would ask Chloe what she had, and Chloe would lie about grabbing a salad or a sandwich between classes. Even if Aubrey didn't believe her, how would she check?

Dinner was the trickiest, and Chloe would usually cave and eat it with Aubrey and Stacie and the boys. She'd get a salad or soup from the dining hall and try and eat as little as possible, without drawing Aubrey's attention to it. Jesse and Benji would shovel burgers and fries and whatever else they could find into their mouths, and Chloe would always feel a pang of jealousy at how much they seemed to enjoy it.

Apart from evening meals in the dining hall, she only saw Aubrey and Stacie at Bellas rehearsals. She spent every other moment either in classes, the library, or the gym. She'd work out until late at night before going back to hers and Aubrey's dorm. Most times Aubrey would be asleep. Sometimes she'd be up, sitting at her desk and frantically typing away at her laptop. She would always stop working whenever Chloe came in, and would try and make conversation with her. But Chloe would always make an excuse about being tired or needing a shower. She felt guilty every time she saw the look of hurt on her best friend's face, but she couldn't talk to her.

She couldn't let Aubrey know how bad it had gotten. She had to remain in control of this one portion of her life, while everything else seemed to be spiralling out of control.

Her classes had become more and more demanding, and since she didn't share classes with Aubrey anymore, she couldn't rely on her to help her study. She had to read a new book every week and a paper every two weeks.

Bellas' rehearsals had also kicked up a notch. They had to be ready for their Christmas shows, followed by the ICCAs in New York. Alice had them rehearsing every day, and every mistake they made meant the whole group had to do laps around the auditorium.

And looming on the horizon, was Christmas. Chloe didn't couldn't begin to imagine how she was going to cope with Christmas this year. Even if Carol wasn't there, the rest of her family would be. And they'd all have to watch her fail once again at eating Christmas dinner.

But all this was nothing to the guilt she felt over Beca.

God, she missed her.

But she knew she couldn't see her. Couldn't even speak to her. She knew the second she heard her voice she'd break down crying. She knew the second Beca saw her, she'd see just how much she was struggling. She'd see right through any lie she'd try to pull.

She couldn't even bring herself to text her back. Her phone lit up daily with new messages, each one sounding more desperate than the last. But it had gone on too long now. Chloe couldn't just text her that she was fine but busy. Any message she sent would open the floodgates. And Chloe needed to keep them shut.

* * *

Beca's thumbs drummed against her steering wheel as she drove. She couldn't remember ever feeling this nervous to see Chloe.

Her stomach was turning, her hands slick against the wheel. Ed Sheeran was playing from her iPod, but even he wasn't helping so she turned it off.

She pulled into the parking lot closest to Chloe's dorm room and got out of her truck before she could change her mind.

She pressed the buzzer for Chloe and Aubrey's dorm room but got no answer. It was after 4pm so she assumed they'd be done with their classes. She walked down to the auditorium. She knew Bellas' rehearsals usually started at 5pm, so maybe she'd be able to catch her before she went in. Even if she just got to see her or a few seconds it would all be worth it.

But when she saw the redheaded girl walking towards the auditorium, it took her a second to recognise her. She seemed smaller, much smaller, than she'd remembered. Her hair was tired up in a loose ponytail, but didn't have its usual shine. And when she walked she kept her head down, eyes fixed on the ground, as if scared she might meet somebody's eye.

"Chloe!" She called out, making her way over.

Chloe froze and she looked up, her eyes locking with Beca's. If she was happy to see her she certainly didn't look it.

"Beca," Chloe said. "What are you doing here?" She sounded surprised but not in a good way. Beca knew immediately that she'd made a mistake coming here.

"I came to see you," Beca said, as if that should have been obvious. "You haven't answered any of my texts or calls or anything. I missed you."

"Yeah, um, I missed you too," Chloe said, looking at the ground. "Sorry about the texts my, um, phone broke, so… Haven't had the chance to get a new one yet."

"Chlo', are you okay?" Beca asked, taking in Chloe's appearance. She was definitely thinner. And her eyes kept darting around, refusing to hold eye contact. Her hands were clenched together. Beca instinctively reached out for them, to hold them, rub them, like she always did when Chloe was stressed out, but Chloe pulled them back as if Beca had burned her. "Chloe?"

"I'm fine," Chloe said, not even bothering to sound convincing. "I just… I need to get to rehearsal. If I'm late they'll make us do laps and-"

"Hey, can you just talk to me for like 5 minutes?" Beca said. Chloe let out a puff of air that could have been frustration. "You can't even look at me. I haven't heard from you in two weeks-"

"My phone broke-"

"You could have facebooked me. Or borrowed Aubrey's phone. Or something. You could have done something," Beca said. Her chest and stomach were hurting and she could feel tears threatening to spill out. "I've been losing my mind, Chloe. You just disappeared. Have I done something?"

"No," Chloe said. "It's not you, it's just… I've been busy. And… And I have to go to rehearsal. I don't… I don't have time for this."

"You mean you don't have time for me," Beca said, feeling like she'd just been slapped.

"I didn't say that," Chloe said, still not looking at her.

"No but that's what you meant. Isn't it?" Beca said, wiping the tears from her eyes. She looked at Chloe, waiting for her to do something. Anything. Waiting for her to tell her she was wrong. That she loved her. Waiting for her to hug her and kiss her and say she was sorry. But Chloe didn't do anything. She just rubbed at her forehead, like she was trying to get rid of a headache, and sighed.

"I have to go," she said.

Beca looked up at the sky and laughed, shaking her head as tears poured down her cheeks. Her heart was breaking, but she needed to know. She needed an answer. "Do you still want to be with me?"

Chloe finally met her eyes, and Beca saw her own pain reflected back in them.

There was a moment when Beca thought Chloe might come to her, but it was shattered when her phone rang in her pocket.

The second it took Beca to look down at her phone was all Chloe needed to turn around and walk away.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Hey friends, hopefully this wasn't too long of a wait. Please review, it really helps :)**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

When Beca looked up from her phone to see Chloe walking away she felt her heart sink like a stone.

"Chloe!" She called, feeling a rush of panic. Was this really happening? "Chloe!" But Chloe didn't turn around and was soon inside the auditorium.

Tears filled her eyes and she quickly turned away, hurrying back towards her truck.

"Beca?" Suddenly Aubrey was in front of her, her hands on her shoulders to stop her from walking away. "What's going on?"

Beca choked back a sob and took a deep breath. "I think… I think Chloe just broke up with me."

"What?! Are you serious? She wouldn't do that, she loves you," Aubrey said.

Beca laughed. "I don't think she does. She just can't bring herself to tell me."

"Beca…"

"Just… Make sure she's okay. She looks like she hasn't eaten in days," Beca said, wiping her eyes. "I'll see you later."

Beca managed to get back to her truck before she started crying fully. She couldn't believe this was happening. She had been terrified, her stomach churning with nerves, when she was driving down but she still hadn't been expecting this. She never thought she'd see Chloe looking at her like that. Like she was someone unexpected and not at all welcome. It had hurt her more than she could possibly say.

She rested her head on her steering wheel, forcing herself to take deep breaths. She didn't want to sit in this parking lot for longer than she needed to. Students and professors kept walking past and she was afraid of her dad, or anyone else she knew, seeing her like this. She had thought maybe Chloe would have followed her, or at least found her. But that didn't happen, and by the time Beca was ready to drive it had gotten dark.

When she wiped her eyes and drove away, she felt like she'd left her heart behind.

She switched her iPod on to try and distract herself, but Ed Sheeran's 'Perfect' was playing and she only got two lines in before she pulled her aux cord out of her radio and started crying again.

She pulled over at the next opportunity. It was fully dark now, and she didn't want to risk getting into an accident by trying to drive when she couldn't see because she was crying.

She wiped her eyes but tears filled them almost immediately after so she gave up and let them fall. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to go home and face her dad and Sheila but she had nowhere else to go. So she decided to just sit in her car until she was sure her dad and Sheila were in bed.

She checked her phone, hoping beyond hope that Chloe will have tried to contact her. She hadn't bought her broken phone lie for a second. She saw she had a few missed calls from her Mom and one from her dad but nothing from Chloe. She tossed her phone onto the empty passenger seat, her heart breaking all over again.

She started trying to picture what the rest of her life would be like without Chloe by her side, and it made her feel awful. She'd spent the last year or so picturing her future with Chloe. She'd let her invade every space in her heart and now that she had pulled away it felt like it was killing her. Hadn't she promised herself after her Mom left that she wouldn't let someone hurt her like this again? Had it been worth it? Those blissful months of being loved by Chloe was the best time of her life, but she could never remember hurting this much since her Mom left.

There was still a bubble of hope inside her. Chloe hadn't actually said she wanted to break up. She hadn't said she wanted them to stay together either, but Beca would take all she could get. She clung to that bubble and drove home.

When she got back to the house she saw a light on in her dad's bedroom, so she waited in her truck until it clicked off.

She let herself in, trying to be as quiet as possible, before coming to a dead stop at the bottom of the stairs. She didn't want to go up there. She'd spent too many nights with Chloe in both her room and the spare room. She debated sleeping in the den, but that was even worse.

There was only one room in the house, other than her dad's room, that wasn't full of Chloe.

She went into her dad's living room and dropped onto one of the sofas. Her head was pounding from all the crying she'd done and she was exhausted. She checked her phone again, feeling her heart sink again as she saw nothing from Chloe. She felt utterly miserable. She just wanted to switch off and not think. She wanted Chloe out of her head, just for a night, just so she could sleep.

Her eyes fell on her dad's liquor cabinet. She knew she shouldn't. She knew her dad would be pissed. She knew it would make her feel worse tomorrow. Yet she still crossed the room and opened the small glass doors. She took out the bottle of vodka he'd gotten as a gift three years ago and had never opened. She knew he wouldn't miss this.

She'd never drank vodka before, and she wasn't prepared for the way it burned her throat. The taste was awful and she spent a few minutes coughing after her first sip.

She drank again. It did nothing to help her headache.

She drank again. Her throat burned.

She drank again. Her stomach churned.

She drank again and again and again until finally things started getting blurry.

She had to stop when she felt like she was about to throw up. She closed her eyes but the room was still spinning.

She thought getting black out drunk would help her forget but if anything it brought it all to the front of her mind.

She started crying again. And then she carried on drinking.

At one point she heard Jasper barking, but it sounded like it was far away.

It felt like a second later that someone was shaking her. The world was spinning again, and she felt like if she opened her eyes she'd throw up.

Then she was being lifted up, and half carried. And then she was throwing up.

She heard someone sigh.

"I'm sorry," she said, crying.

"It's okay, Becs," her dad said. She opened her eyes and saw him swimming before her. "I'm just gonna put you to bed, okay?"

She nodded and he helped her up the stairs and to her room.

"I take it it didn't go well?" He asked, sitting her on her bed. She shook her head, still crying. "I'm sorry Beca. We'll talk about it tomorrow. For now just get some sleep."

"Okay," she said. "I'm sorry."

"You're gonna be okay," he said, kissing her forehead. "Sleep on your side, okay?"

She nodded, and then he left. She curled up on her side and was asleep in seconds.

It felt like seconds later she was being shook awake. The light streaming through her windows felt bright enough to blind her and she thought her head might explode.

"Drink this and get dressed," her dad said, placing a pint glass full of water on her bedside table. "We're going for a walk."

"I don't want to go for a walk," she said, putting her head in her hands.

"And I didn't want to come downstairs last night to find my daughter passed out with a half empty bottle of vodka in her hand. We're going for a walk," he said.

She couldn't argue with that, so she drank the water, threw up again while taking a shower, and pulled on a clean pair of sweatpants and a hoody.

Her dad was waiting in the kitchen for her, Jasper's leash in one hand.

"Ready?" He asked.

She nodded, but the action made her head throb so she stopped.

He clipped Jasper's leash onto his collar and they left the house.

They walked around their neighbourhood without any particular destination in mind. It was cold and bright, and Beca felt better the longer they walked.

"So," he said after they'd been walking a while. "What happened yesterday?"

Beca shrugged. "I went to see her and she just… I could tell she wasn't happy to see me. She told me her phone was broke but I'm pretty sure she was lying. She just didn't want me there. I asked if she still wanted to be with me, but she walked away before I got my answer," Beca said, fresh tears stinging her eyes.

"I'm sorry Becs," he said. "I know how much you love her, and I know how much this must hurt."

Beca nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground as they walked. "I'm sorry about last night," she said. "I thought it would help but it just made everything feel worse."

"Yeah, I wouldn't recommend drinking straight vodka," he said. "I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but you're going to be okay. You're gonna hurt for a while, it's gonna feel like you'll never get over it, but one day it won't hurt so much. Then the next day will be a little easier. And eventually it won't hurt at all. Maybe you'll meet someone new, maybe you won't. But either way you'll be fine."

Beca looked up at him and felt her heart break again. He'd never really talked about what it was like when her Mom had left. He'd had to keep it together for her sake. He'd never been able to fall apart, not for a second.

She slipped her hand into his and squeezed. He squeezed it back, the way he used to when she was a little girl. Her eyes filled with tears again.

"I love you, you know? I maybe don't tell you enough, but I do."

"I love you too," she said, her voice breaking slightly.

* * *

Over the next few days, Beca threw herself back into mixing.

She spent almost every hour at her desk, shutting out the rest of the world as she focused on making each song as good as she could.

She'd responded to the occasional text from Jesse, but other than that she didn't check her phone, and although her heart still leapt every time it buzzed, she stopped expecting to see Chloe's name on there. She changed her wallpaper from a picture of the two of them to a picture of Jasper. She'd taken the photo of the two of them off her desk.

She missed Chloe with every part of her, and she thought about her constantly. And although they were still together according to Facebook, in her head she started referring to Chloe as her ex-girlfriend. And as much as she hated that, it was better than pretending.

Chloe didn't want her anymore. Didn't love her anymore. Even if she hadn't actually said it, Beca knew it was the truth. And the truth was horrible and painful but at least it was real.

* * *

One afternoon, there was a knock at the front door. She was the only one home so she went to answer it.

Jesse was standing there, a six-pack of beers in is hand.

"What's up weirdo?" He asked as she stood aside to let him in.

"Um, not much," Beca said. "What's going on?"

"I just came to hang out," he said, following her into the den. "I'm kinda worried about you."

He sat on the sofa and offered her a beer. She declined. Since the vodka incident she didn't have much interest in alcohol.

"How's college?" She asked.

"It's pretty full on," he said. "Treblemaker rehearsals are like every day now and there's so much work to do in my actual classes, it's crazy."

"Have you seen her?" Beca asked. She didn't need to tell him who "her" was.

He sighed and shook his head. "Sorry Becs. I don't really see any of the girls now."

"Not even Aubrey?" Beca asked, surprised.

Jesse laughed. "Dude, she's so terrified of being kicked out of the Bellas she won't even talk to me in person. We text and stuff but nothing's ever happened."

"I'm sorry, Jess," she said. She'd thought they'd really liked each other, and it made her said to think that nothing would happen.

"It's okay," he said. "So… So what's going on with you and Chloe?"

"I don't know," she said. She told him about what had happened when she'd last seen her, and he told her that Aubrey had told him she couldn't get Chloe to talk about it.

"She'll be home for Christmas vacation next week," he said. "You should go and see her."

Beca shook her head. "She doesn't want to see me, I'm not gonna just turn up at her house."

"But you love her! You can't just give up on her," he said. She knew he was picturing some perfect movie moment where she'd wait for hours outside of her house until eventually Chloe gave in and they reunited. But he hadn't seen the look Chloe gave her when she saw her.

"If she wants to be with me, she knows where I am. She has my number, and my facebook, and my email address, and the million other ways she could use to contact me," Beca said. "If she wanted me, she would have said something by now."

"Don't give up on her yet," he said. "She loves you, and you love her."

It took too much energy to argue, so she just shook her head and changed the subject.

* * *

The next afternoon, Beca was disturbed from working by her phone vibrating on her desk.

She picked it up and her stomach flipped.

Aubrey was calling her.

Aubrey never called her.

"Hello?"

"Beca?"

"Aubrey? What's going on?" Beca asked, feeling slightly sick.

"Chloe's in the hospital."


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Still a few chapters to go but we're definitely near the end. A lot of people had a lot of opinions about what should or shouldn't happen, but I've been planning this part of the story for a long time, and I hope you all agree with how I've handled it.**

 **Please review, it really keeps me motivated :)**

 **On the subject of reviews, an anonymous guest reviewer has left pretty disgusting reviews on the last two chapters. They weren't negative towards me or my writing or the fic, but they said some pretty awful stuff about people with eating disorders. The reviews have been removed. If you saw them and were upset or triggered by them I'm so sorry. If you are the person who wrote them, please don't do it again. I don't agree with your viewpoints and your words were cruel and could easily seriously hurt someone suffering with an eating disorder. If you review again with the same kind of stuff I'll remove it.**

 **Anyway, on with the chapter, I hope you all like it :)**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters**

* * *

"Do you still want to be with me?" Beca had asked. Her voice breaking, her eyes full of tears.

 _Of course I do,_ Chloe thought, her heart breaking at the thought that Beca didn't know that. She wanted to pull Beca into her arms. To hold her and kiss her and promise never to hurt her again. But she stopped herself. _Beca deserves better than you can give her,_ she thought.

Beca's phone started ringing, and Chloe used it as her opportunity to walk away. She couldn't tell Beca she didn't want her, because it wasn't true. But she also couldn't stay with her. She couldn't carry on putting Beca through this.

So she just walked away.

She heard Beca calling after her, but she kept on walking, tears building in her eyes.

She knew she was being cruel, but she also knew she couldn't give Beca what she needed. Not right now, when her life seemed to be spiralling. In the long run, this would be better.

When she saw Aubrey walk into the rehearsal space a few minutes later, she knew the blonde was mad at her.

"What did you do?" She asked. "Why does Beca think you guys have broken up? Have you?"

Chloe swallowed hard. Everything inside her hurt. "It's for the best. She deserves better."

Aubrey opened her mouth to argue but Alice called a start to rehearsal and Chloe moved away from her.

The days seemed to blend together after that.

She stayed away from her dorm room, only returning way after midnight when she knew Aubrey would be sleeping. She saw Aubrey and Stacie at rehearsals, but kept her distance, never giving them more than one word answers. Every time she thought about Beca, she felt like she was going to burst into tears.

She felt awful, in every way. She just wanted everything to stop. She wanted everyone to leave, just for a little while. Just so she could get herself back together. She felt like if she lost this last bit of control she had, she would lose everything.

The night before the last day of college before Christmas vacation, Chloe got back to her dorm room to find that Aubrey was still awake.

"Hey," Chloe said, avoiding eye contact.

"I called your Mom," Aubrey said without preamble.

Chloe froze and turned to look at her. "What? Why?"

"Because…" Aubrey cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. "Because you aren't eating. And you won't talk to me or anyone else. You need help."

"I'm fine," Chloe said, feeling panicked and angry. "I'm fine, I don't need babysitting. I don't need you running to my Mom." She picked up her phone from her desk and saw a missed call and a text from her Mom.

 **Mom: We're coming to get you tomorrow. No arguments.**

"You aren't fine," Aubrey said, keeping her voice steady. "You are the opposite of fine right now."

"I can't believe you did this," Chloe said, pacing. "What if I end up back in that hospital again? I'll have to drop out of college, probably lose my scholarship. I'd have to leave the Bellas. Everything…" She forced herself to take a breath. She could feel her hands shaking as she clenched them together. "Everything I have worked for will be gone."

"You could die, Chloe," Aubrey said, failing to keep her tears at bay. "This, what you're doing, this could kill you. Will kill you if you don't let someone help. I can't stand by and watch my best friend kill herself. You can hate me if you want, but you're my best friend and I love you. And it hurts to watch you do this to yourself again."

 _We're coming to get you tomorrow._

Chloe felt trapped. Her heart was racing and she felt like she was going to throw up.

She sat on her bed and let her head fall into her hands.

"I didn't mean for it to go this far," she said, finally crying. "I'm sorry."

Aubrey crossed the room and sat beside her, pulling her into a hug.

"It's okay," she said, relieved that Chloe hadn't pulled away. "You're going to get help."

 _We're coming to get you tomorrow._

"I don't want to go back to hospital 'Bree," Chloe said, crying. "I don't want to lose everything."

"I know," Aubrey said. "But you can't go on like this."

The next morning, they had their final Bellas rehearsal before Christmas vacation. She managed to muster up the courage to call her Mom on the way, saying she wouldn't be ready to leave until after. Her Mom sounded like she was going to cry on the phone, but she also sounded relieved.

Near the end of the rehearsal, Alice had them do laps again. They had to run up the stairs of the auditorium, along the back row of chairs, down the stairs on the other side, and then past the front row. It was a punishing run, but the pain burning in her legs helped Chloe focus.

In a matter of hours she'd see her family again, and then she didn't know what was going to happen. She felt sick. She kept running.

Of course, she hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, but she kept running. Her legs screaming in pain as she pushed up the stairs.

She started feeling light-headed once she'd reached the top. The other girls had started slowing down. Some of them had stopped and were drinking water, red-faced and exhausted. She knew she should stop too, but once she stopped it would be time to leave, and time to face her parents. She went for one more lap.

The light-headedness was worse now, and she started feeling dizzy. She was half way down the stairs, thinking she'd have to call it a day, when her vision went black and her legs gave out.

When she opened her eyes, Aubrey and the other Bellas were standing over her.

"Are you okay?" Aubrey asked, her face full of worry.

"Yeah," Chloe said, momentarily confused. She could taste blood from where she'd bitten her tongue and her wrist and ankle were throbbing. "What…"

"You fell," Aubrey said, helping her sit up. Stacie came over to her other side.

"You collapsed more like it," Stacie said. She gingerly held Chloe's wrist, shooting her an apologetic look when Chloe to a sharp breath in from the pain. "This is already swelling up, you'll have to get it checked out." Stacie was studying nursing and did some volunteering at the university free clinic. "You should have stopped running when you felt dizzy," she said.

"I'm fine," Chloe said, still feeling sick.

"No you aren't," Stacie replied.

"Alice called an ambulance," Aubrey said. "I'll call your Mom on the way to the hospital."

"Oh my god, I don't need to go to the hospital," Chloe said, feeling irritated and panicked all over again.

"University procedure is we call an ambulance if someone hurts themselves on school property," Alice said, in a tone that left no room for arguments. She looked frazzled in a way that Chloe had never seen before.

"I really don't need all this fuss," Chloe said.

"Chloe, it's okay," Aubrey said quietly.

"I said I'm fine," Chloe said, trying to stand. "I don't want to go to the hospital."

Standing proved to be a mistake as Chloe immediately felt dizzy again.

"Sit down," Stacie said, taking her uninjured arm. She sat her in a chair and handed her a bottle of water. "You need to drink this and calm down."

Chloe drank the water and then looked around at all the other Bellas watching her. She knew she must be coming across as a little crazy or irrational, but she couldn't go to the hospital. They'd take one look at her medical records and she'd end up back at the psych hospital, she knew she would. She felt like she was going to throw up.

"Okay!" Alice said, clapping her hands together. "Let's all stop staring at Chloe, I've got some stuff you all need to know before you leave for Christmas. Rehearsals start up again on January 11th. I want everyone here to know their music inside and out…"

She carried on talking but Chloe wasn't listening. She was grateful Alice had pulled away their attention, but it didn't stop the feeling of rising panic. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest and she felt like she couldn't breathe properly. She wanted to run away but she couldn't. She felt like she was drowning.

"Chlo', calm down, it'll be okay," Aubrey said, softly.

"I can't," Chloe said, breathing too fast. "Please don't make me go to hospital."

"Chloe you need to calm down," Stacie said, her voice quiet but firm, trying not to attract the attention of the other Bellas.

But Chloe couldn't calm down.

 _We're coming to get you tomorrow._

Everyone was coming to get her.

Her vision went black again.

* * *

Beca pulled on her shoes and climbed into her truck the second her phone call with Aubrey had ended. She hadn't even grabbed her jacket.

"I'll meet you out front," Aubrey had said, her voice on the verge of breaking.

 _She's okay,_ Beca told herself as she drove, tears burning her eyes. _Aubrey said she's okay, she wouldn't lie about that._

But even if Chloe wasn't hurt bad, Beca knew she'd be far from okay.

She made it to the hospital in less than 20 minutes, and sent a quick text to her dad so he knew where she was. It had started snowing, and she was shivering by the time she made it from her truck to the front of the hospital.

Aubrey was there, pacing.

Beca broke out into a run. Aubrey seemed to relax when she saw her, and Beca didn't question it when she pulled her into a hug.

"Is she okay?" Beca asked, hugging her back.

"I think so," Aubrey said, ending their hug so they could walk inside. "She's with her parents and the doctor now. They won't let me see her, while she's speaking to the doctor. It's just family allowed."

"What happened?" Beca asked as they headed for the waiting room. Aubrey had explained briefly over the phone, but Beca needed to hear exactly what had happened.

"We were running laps at the end of rehearsal, and she collapsed running down the stairs. She's sprained her wrist I think and maybe her ankle. She had a panic attack just before the paramedics arrived and she passed out again," Aubrey said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. They arrived at the waiting room and took a seat on the uncomfortable plastic chairs. "I'm sorry, Beca."

"What for?"

"For not looking after her," Aubrey said, tears filling her eyes again. "I tried to make sure she was eating but I failed. I couldn't help her and now she's back here again."

"It isn't your fault," Beca said. "It isn't anyone's fault." She put her head in her hands and started to cry. "I just want her to be okay. I want her to be happy."

Aubrey put a hand on her back. "I know," she said.

They waited for what felt like hours when Chloe's Mom finally came to see them.

"How is she?" Beca asked, standing up.

"She's okay," Mrs Beale said, her eyes red from crying. "They're going to let us take her home in a few hours but she has to see her psychiatrist tomorrow, and he'll decide the next steps." She looked at Aubrey. "Thank you for calling me."

"Of course," Aubrey said. "Can we see her?"

She glanced over at Beca. "I'll go and ask her."

"She doesn't know you called me," Beca said. It wasn't a question.

"No," Aubrey replied. "But I couldn't not call you."

"She won't want to see me," Beca said, wiping her eyes. "I should go, I don't want to upset her more."

"Let her decide what she wants," Aubrey said.

Beca nodded and sat back down. She didn't know where she and Chloe stood, but she loved her. More than anything. And if Chloe didn't want to be with her anymore, she would accept it, but she wouldn't just walk away from her. Even if she was just there as a friend, she'd be there to support her.

"You guys can see her one at a time," Mrs Beale said, coming back into the waiting room. "Aubrey, do you want to come in first?" Aubrey glanced back at Beca who nodded.

Aubrey followed Mrs Beale out of the waiting room and Beca was alone again. She didn't know if she was ready to see Chloe yet, and the waiting was agony. What if Chloe didn't want her there? What if she looked at her again the way she looked before?

After about twenty minutes, Aubrey was back, and Beca had to stop pondering her 'what if?'s.

"She wants to see you," Aubrey said. "I'll show you where she is."

Beca swallowed and nodded before following Aubrey down a hallway and through a set of double doors. Chloe was in a room on the left, her dad sitting outside, his hands were clenched together. He gave her a weak smile, but tears had filled his eyes and the smile didn't stay long.

Beca gave a tentative knock on her door. Mrs Beale opened it and stepped aside to let her in. She left the room once Beca had entered and closed the door behind her.

"Hi," Beca said, standing near the end of the bed.

"Hi," Chloe replied. She was hugging her knees, one arm wrapped up, a drip in her other hand. She looked smaller and thinner than Beca had ever seen her. She was chewing on her lip and her eyes were full of unshed tears. "I didn't think you'd want to see me," she said, finally looking at Beca.

"Of course I'd want to see you," Beca replied, taking a cautious step closer.

Chloe gave a hollow laugh and looked away, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Why?" She asked, her voice rough.

"Because I love you," Beca said.

Chloe's lip started quivering. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Beca said, moving so she was sitting in the chair beside her bed.

"I love you too," Chloe said, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry," she said, fully crying.

Beca started crying too. "Can I?" She opened her arms to hug her. Chloe nodded and Beca pulled her into a hug. Chloe gripped her shirt and buried her face in Beca's neck.

"I'm sorry," Chloe kept saying, still crying hard. "I'm so sorry."

"I know," Beca said, closing her eyes. "I know you are." She kissed her head. She wasn't going to tell Chloe that it was okay. Because she knew the way she had treated her wasn't okay, and Chloe knew it to.

"I don't want to break up," Chloe said.

"Neither do I," Beca said, holding her tighter. They knew they had a long way to go, but both Beca and Chloe felt relief flood through them as they held each other. "I love you," Beca said.

"I love you too," Chloe replied.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: So I guess I have some explaining to do?**

 **I can't apologise enough for leaving it so long between updates. The last few months have been super up and down for me. My anxiety has been crazy and I've really really struggled to write this. I tried a lot times but just ended up getting angry because the writer's block was so bad. I also have to say sorry because I know I said there would be a couple more chapters but actually this is the last one. I feel like there might be a lot crammed into this so I hope it doesn't feel rushed, and I hope I haven't left anything unanswered. If I have, please let me know.**

 **I'd love it if you reviewed. This fic has been a big part of my life for almost 2 years now. It's the longest thing I've ever written and has also received the most reviews of anything I've ever written. What was originally meant to be a slow-burn high school au has turned into something else. I'm pretty proud of it, and I hope you've enjoyed this journey with me.**

 **So, for the last time, enjoy.**

 **I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters.**

* * *

Beca was lying on her side on Chloe's hospital bed, Chloe curled into her, her head tucked into the crook of Beca's neck. They'd been lying like this for about 20 minutes. Aubrey had popped her head in to say she was leaving but that she'd give her a call later.

"Hey, Aubrey?" Beca said, just as the blonde was leaving. "You should call Jesse. He really likes you, and I think you guys would be great together."

Aubrey smiled. "I will," she said, and she left them alone.

"How's your wrist?" Beca asked, her fingers lightly threading through Chloe's hair.

"It hurts," Chloe replied. Beca could feel her breath on her neck as she spoke and she instinctively pulled her closer. She'd missed this. She'd missed her. "Will you come back with me tonight?"

"I think," Beca cleared her throat slightly, "I think maybe you should just be with your family tonight." She felt Chloe start to pull away but she held on even tighter. "Just for tonight. You all have a lot to talk about. I'll come and see you tomorrow and, if you want, I can stay over."

"Okay," Chloe said, relaxing into Beca's arms again. "I really am sorry. About everything. I've… I've treated you really badly. I never meant for you to get hurt, it just all got too much."

"I know," Beca said softly. "I'm not going to say it's okay, or that I wasn't hurt, but I know you didn't do it deliberately. I know you're having a hard time. I just wish you'd let me help."

"I wish I had too," Chloe said. "I won't do it again, I promise."

Beca knew it wasn't as simple as that. Chloe was bound to shut her out again. But Beca was willing to be there with her, for as long as Chloe wanted her to. She loved her.

So Beca just kissed her forehead and closed her eyes, thanking God and whoever else that she still had Chloe in her life.

It felt like Beca had only closed her eyes for a second when she heard someone talking.

"Chloe, the doctor said we can take you home," Chloe's mom said, gently shaking her daughter's shoulder.

"M'kay," Chloe mumbled, rubbing her eyes and untangling herself from Beca's arms.

Beca stood and stretched, as she watched the nurse removed the drip from Chloe's hand.

"Do you need a ride home, Beca?" Chloe's dad asked.

Beca shook her head. "I'm good, thanks. I have my truck." She turned to look at Chloe, who was easing herself off the bed, her ankle still sore. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

Chloe nodded. "Can I call you tonight?"

"Of course you can," Beca said, kissing the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Chloe didn't call Beca that night until almost 11pm.

Beca had been dozing on the couch, Jasper curled up on her lap, when her phone buzzed and jolted her awake.

"Hi," Beca said, clearing her throat.

"Hi," Chloe answered, sounding exhausted. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Beca lied, rubbing her eyes. "How's it going?"

"I don't really know. Mom's not sure if she wants me to go back to college after the winter break. My dad definitely doesn't want to go back," Chloe said. Beca could picture her as clearly as if she was there. Chloe would be running a hand through her hair, rubbing her forehead as a headache settled behind her eyes.

"What do you want to do?" Beca asked, wishing she was there with her.

"I want to go back," Chloe said, sounding determined. "I don't want to lose my scholarship, or let the Bellas down. I want to prove that I can do this and not fall apart."

"You won't be letting anyone down, Chlo'," Beca said. "And you don't have to prove yourself to anyone."

"You don't think I should go back," Chloe said, after a pause.

"I didn't say that," Beca replied. "I just don't want you to put so much pressure on yourself that you end up hurting yourself. I want you to be happy, Chloe. And I want you to be okay."

"I will be okay," Chloe said, her voice softer. "I need to do this, Becs. I need to go back."

"If that's what you want then I'll help you in anyway I can," Beca said.

"Thank you," Chloe said. Beca heard the rustling of sheets and new Chloe must be in bed. "I miss you. I wish you were here."

Beca felt a sudden wave of longing inside her. "I wish I was too," she said quietly.

There was a pause. "Can you come over?"

Beca looked at the clock. She could hear the TV in her dad's living room so she knew he was still up.

She knew she should probably give Chloe some space. She knew she probably shouldn't be rushing straight back into things. But she missed her.

 _God_ , she missed her.

"Sure," Beca said. "I can come over."

Beca ended the call and pulled her shoes and coat on as fast as she could. She dashed upstairs and grabbed her toothbrush and other bits she would need before running back down into the den, loading up her iPod full of her newest mixes that Chloe hadn't heard.

"Dad?" She said, popping her head into his living room. He grunted in response, his eyes closed, Sheila's hand in his, the news playing quietly on the TV. "I'm gonna go see Chloe. I'll be back tomorrow. Is that okay?"

He opened his eyes and turned to look at her. "Is that a good idea?" He asked.

"She needs me," Beca replied, as if that settled it. "I need her."

He closed his eyes again, seemingly satisfied. "Be careful," he said.

"Give her our love," Shiela said.

"I will," Beca said, leaving. "Thanks."

She called out a goodbye as she left and was soon in her truck driving towards Chloe's house.

* * *

Chloe was curled up in bed, hoping Beca would arrive soon. She just wanted to hold her. To be held. To fall asleep with her the way they'd done a hundred times before.

She wanted to feel Beca curled against her. Feel the weight of her. To know that Beca was really there. To know that she wouldn't leave.

She heard a light tap on her door.

"Come in," Chloe said, turning in her bed so she was facing it.

The handle turned and the light from the hall spilled out into the room. She could see Beca silhouetted in the doorway, her hands were shoved into her pockets, her backpack falling off one shoulder.

"Hey," she said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. The room was plunged back into almost darkness again. The only light coming from the moonlight filtering through the curtains. "Your fairy lights are gone."

"They're in my dorm room," Chloe said. She hadn't had a chance to pack anything before her parents had come for her. She'd need to go back for her clothes if nothing else.

She heard Beca stumbling slightly, moving around her room. She heard the sound of Beca's foot hitting the leg of her desk, and the muffled " _shit,_ " that followed caused her to laugh lightly.

Beca pulled her small bluetooth speaker out of her back, relieved she'd remembered to bring it, and connected her iPod. The glow of the screen lit Beca's face up, and Chloe wondered if she'd ever looked so beautiful.

A few seconds later, soft music started playing. Songs Chloe didn't recognise were blending together to create something new and wonderful. Chloe was never not amazed by the music Beca could make, but this was possibly the best thing she'd ever heard Beca make. She heard Beca's own voice in there, something which she didn't do often, and the sound was so pure it made Chloe want to cry.

Beca changed quickly in the dark, trying not to stub her toe again. Chloe reached out for Beca's hand when she was done, pulling her towards the bed.

"Hi," Chloe said, her voice cracking as Beca climbed in beside her.

"Hi," Beca said back. They lay face to face, just looking at each other, Beca's music playing softly in the background. "Don't cry," Beca whispered, bringing up her hand to brush away a tear. They both thought of the last time they'd shared this bed, when Chloe had said the same thing to Beca.

A lot had changed.

"I never want to lose you again," Chloe said.

"You won't," Beca replied, moving impossibly closer, their noses touching lightly.

Things started getting blurry as Chloe's eyes filled with tears again, and Beca moved into kiss her, slowly, gently, her hand cupping Chloe's face.

Beca kissed her like she was trying to make up for a lifetime of not kissing her. They had kissed more times than they could count, but it had never felt like this.

They had come so close to losing each other.

Chloe's hand gripped Beca's waist, her t-shirt riding up so she could feel Beca's skin beneath her. Beca's hand moved from Chloe's face to tangle up in her hair as they kissed with more urgency.

And suddenly the kissing stopped, because Beca was crying to hard to continue. She buried her face in Chloe's neck as the redhead did the same, squeezing her even closer.

" _God_ , I love you _so much,_ Chlo'," Beca said, her voice shaking.

"I love you too," Chloe replied, her own tears falling quickly.

"I thought you were going to die," Beca said, choking the words out between sobs. "I thought you were going to fucking die."

Chloe couldn't respond, so she just held on tighter, trying to show Beca that she was still here. That she wasn't leaving.

Eventually, they both calmed down. Chloe went and got them some tissues and some water, and they sat side-by-side in the bed, slowly catching their breath and drying their eyes.

"How many times have I cried in front of you now?" Beca asked, laughing as she dabbed at her eyes.

"Way too many. If I'd known what a softie you are, I never would have agreed to date you," Chloe said, grinning as Beca nudged her.

"Rude," Beca said, laughing harder.

They fell into a comfortable silence, and Beca felt like she could breathe for the first time in months.

"This music is amazing Becs," Chloe said. "It's the best stuff you've ever made."

"Thanks," Beca said, smiling. "I've, um, actually sent it out to a few places. Residual Heat wants me to go in for a meeting next week."

"Beca, are you serious?! That's huge! They're huge!" Chloe practically yelled.

"Yeah, it's a pretty big deal," Beca said, feeling nervous and excited all at once. "I mean, if I get it the job will basically be getting coffee and stuff but it's a start."

"I'm so proud of you!" Chloe squealed, pulling Beca into a hug.

"Thank you," Beca said, smiling, closing her eyes as Chloe hugged her tighter.

* * *

The day of the meeting with Residual Heat arrived, and Beca didn't know if she'd ever felt this nervous. She stood in front of her bedroom mirror, obsessively trying to smooth out the near-invisible wrinkles in her shirt.

"Okay," she whispered to herself. "Just be cool."

She checked her phone and re-read the good luck text she'd received from Chloe that morning, which had consisted of a selfie of Chloe in her "I love Beca" t-shirt with the caption "you got this!"

Beca smiled. Looking at the photo made her anxiety drop. Having Chloe back in her life was the best thing she could imagine. She didn't think she'd be able to do this without her.

Beca sent Chloe her own good luck message, because she knew she had a meeting with her university tutor and university counsellor about possibly going back to school after the break.

She slipped her phone into her pocket, and headed out the door.

The drive took about an hour, and Beca wondered what it would be like doing it twice every day. On the plus side, the studio was close to Barden University, so she'd be able to see Chloe after work.

She sat in the reception area, nervously tapping out a beat on her legs.

"Beca Mitchell?" The woman sat behind the desk called.

"Yeah," Beca said, jumping up.

"Sammy will see you now," she said. "Follow me."

"Cool, um thank you," Beca replied, following her down a corridor, past a room full of computers and and weird shaped chairs, down another corridor and then into a room where an man wearing gold sunglasses sat behind a large desk, seemingly texting.

Beca opened her mouth to introduce herself but he held up a finger, not looking away from his phone.

Beca stood awkwardly, not sure if she should sit or not, and waited for him to address her.

Suddenly he slammed his phone down on his desk, causing Beca to jump. "God damn Candy Crush," he muttered. He finally looked up at Beca. "Why are you standing there?" He didn't wait for an answer, he just gestured to a chair and took off his gasses.

"Okay, I've already forgotten your name so I'm just gonna call you Reggie, you cool with that Reggie?"

"Um… sure?"

"Great. Okay Reggie, here's the deal, usually when one of these idiots I have working here hands me a USB full of mash-ups, I make them scour youtube looking for the next Justin Bieber for about a week." He spoke very fast and didn't break eye-contact. Beca wasn't sure what the hell was happening. "I was ready to throw this USB into the trash with all the others, but then I heard this song."

He hit a button on his laptop, and Beca's cover of George Michael's 'Freedom! '90' started to play.

"I'm not one for covers," he said, "but there's something about this… And… And I don't like it, okay? I don't like it when people can do what I can do. It makes me feel intimidated and small. I don't like feeling small, I wear inserts in my shoes because I don't like feeling small."

Beca opened her mouth to speak again but he kept on going.

"But there's something here. The way it builds it's just… Ahh! I don't know! I like it."

"Thank you?" Beca said, unsure. It felt like she was being praised, but he looked so angry about it.

"So here's the deal. I'm gonna give a job as an intern here," he said. "And I'm also going to let you use one of the recording booths after hours. I want to hear what else you can do. Okay?"

"Oh my god, are you serious?" Beca said, as he held out his hand for her to shake.

"Do I look like a man who makes jokes?"

"I guess not? Um, thank you. Thank you so much for this," Beca said, rambling as she shook his hand. "I won't let you down, I promise."

"I hope you don't Reggie. Because I've got a room full of interns in there that can make mash-ups and sing covers. I wanna hear what you have, okay? I wanna hear your voice. And I also want my coffee to be hot but not too hot, with 2 and a half sugars and a dash- are you getting this? - a dash of almond milk. You should really write that down because you're going to need it on Monday."

And suddenly here was walking out.

"Gina will take your details at the desk!" He called as he walked away.

Chloe practically blew out the speaker on her phone when Beca called her to let her know she'd gotten the job.

"How did your meeting go?" She asked, putting the phone on speaker and dropping it into the empty seat beside her. "I can come pick you up if you're still there?"

"I'm home now, but you could come over?"

"Sure, I'll be there in like an hour," Beca said, feeling lighter than she'd felt in months.

She arrived at Chloe's and was immediately pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so proud of you, baby," Chloe said, squeezing her.

"Thanks," Beca said, grinning as they went and sat in the living room. "How did your meeting go?"

"Well, they've agreed I can go back after Christmas vacation, but if I miss any counselling sessions without a valid reason and don't stick to my meal plan then they might not let me carry on next year. I've got to have regular meetings with my tutor, my counsellor and the college nurse to make sure I'm healthy and I'm eating and stuff. I'm not allowed to push myself when I work out, I need to always have someone with me basically. It's going to be hard but I think I can do it," Chloe said, looking anxious but determined.

"I know you can do it," Beca said, squeezing her hand. "I've been thinking though. After this year you won't be in dorms anymore, right?"

"Right," Chloe said.

"Well, the studio is like twenty minutes away from Barden University, and I don't think I want to make that commute every day. So I was wondering how you'd feel about maybe… maybe getting a place together? We could even ask Aubrey and Stacie too if you wanted? Rent would be cheaper if more of us shared."

"You wanna move in together?" Chloe asked, sounding surprised.

"It was a stupid idea," Beca said quickly.

"No, Beca that sounds awesome!" She said. "Are you serious about this?"

"Of course I am," Beca said. "So you really want to?"

"I really want to," Chloe replied, pulling Beca into a hug. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

And Chloe laughed and held her, because she knew Beca meant it. And Beca knew Chloe meant it.

They had almost been together for a year. A whole year. And even if they just got that one year together, Beca would think it had all been worth it. But she knew they'd have more. She knew they'd have more than one more year together. She didn't doubt it for a second.

 **The End**


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